


hold on (to me)

by castielfalls



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2019-10-12 08:23:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17463971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielfalls/pseuds/castielfalls
Summary: [ sequel to ‘blue is the warmest colour’ ]“you can fool yourself and everyone else, but you can’t fool me.”peter quill doesn’t believe what ego says about celestials and soulmate marks. but when he meets thor, peter doesn’t think it’s all that crazy.





	1. when things go bad, don’t go with them

**Author's Note:**

> this is the sequel to ‘blue is the warmest colour’. though not necessary, it is advised to read that beforehand as they share a canon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are appreciated.

**FIVE** **YEARS** **AGO**

It all starts with a distress signal and the Rubberband Man.

Normally, Peter would probably ignore a distress call. Maybe he’ll run it by the others before deleting it from their system or he’ll just make the call and not tell anyone. Sure, he’s a Guardian of the Galaxy, but he sure as hell isn’t charity. This time, though, it’s different. The distress signal was sent out by an Asgardian ship.

Anyone who’s someone knows Asgardians are practically untouchable. Nobody’s even laid eyes on Asgard, much less step foot in it. Peter grew up with tales of Asgard and their royal family, rumours of how they have a bridge made of light and a kingdom plated with gold. Peter thought of it as myths, but grew up realising that Asgard wasn’t just a fairy tale. There was a golden kingdom and there was a royal family. Peter doesn’t know anyone who’s even seen the inside of Asgard. Rocket loves the place despite never having been. He talks about the advanced armour and arsenal they possess and the deadly warriors they train. Immortal gods and civilians who live like kings. Peter thinks it’s all hype and pure bullshit. Rocket tells him his brain is too small.

But now, now that there’s a distress call from an Asgardian ship, Peter knows it’s not a myth. It’s all real, and if Rocket is right about their riches and their weaponry, answering the call would be considered a _privilege_. He returns a signal to let the ship know that they’re coming to help and he puts on a song, Rubberband Man by The Spinners, and sings to it, mood lifted. 

“ _Hey_ _y’all_ , _prepare_ _yourself_ _for_ _the_ _Rubberband_ _Man_! Sing it, Drax!” Peter shouts, laughing. Drax snores loudly in response. Gamora lip-syncs to the song and Peter shoots her a smile, glad that over the years, she’d learnt the lyrics to some of the music Peter plays on their ship. He announces, “Right, so I answered a distress call from an Asgardian ship. We’re gonna help.” 

Rocket yawns, questioning, “Why are we doing this again?” 

Gamora answers him, annoyed, “It’s a distress signal, Rocket. Someone could be dying.”

Rocket nods half-heartedly, “I get that, but why are we _doing_ it?” 

“‘Cause we’re nice. And maybe whoever it is will give us a little cheddar cheese for our help,” Peter grins. 

Rocket’s bored expression slowly grows into a smile and Gamora sighs, “Which isn’t the point.” 

Peter returns, “Which isn’t the point... I mean, if he doesn’t pony up...”

“We’ll take his ship,” Drax pipes up. He’d woken up when Peter announced their move to help the troubled ship. 

Rocket laughs, agreeing, “Exactly!”

“B-B-B-Bingo!” 

Gamora stares at him, partially in concern and partially in pure disbelief of how shallow Peter is. Peter catches her look and grimaces, giving her a ‘don’t worry about it’ expression. She moves closer to him, asking, “We are going to help them, right?” 

Peter nods, waving her off, “Yeah, we will. I’m just humouring the little shit.”

“We are arriving,” Mantis suddenly pipes up, reading her console. Immediately, everyone gets serious and stops joking around. Peter leans forward, concentrating on manoeuvring the ship.

“All right, Guardians. Don’t forget, this might be dangerous so let’s put on our mean faces,” Peter calls out. Behind him, Mantis snarls, and Gamora notes mentally that she should probably help Mantis with that at some point if the empath ever wants to be threatening. Groot rolls his eyes at the others, returning his attention to his video game. Peter turns around and orders, “Groot, put that thing away. Now. I don’t wanna tell you again.” When the beeping continues, Peter calls Groot again.

“I am Groot.”

“ _Whoa_!” Peter exclaims, offended, and Rocket scolds Groot about his language. Drax mumbles ‘wow’ out of bewilderedness and Gamora glares at Groot. Peter frowns, “You got some acorns on you, kid.”

Rocket grumbles, turning around to face Groot, “Ever since you became a little sap, you’ve been a total d-hole. Keep it up and I’m gonna smash that thing to pieces!” Groot rolls his eyes again, choosing to ignore Rocket’s threat. 

Peter and Rocket slow down the ship when they reach the coordinates sent by the Asgardians, and it is only Mantis’ gasp that snaps everyone back to reality. There’s bodies floating all around, fragments of a destroyed ship scattered. Mantis asks, voice quiet with devastation, “What happened?”

Rocket mumbles, “Looks like we’re not getting paid.”

Gamora glares at him, asking, “Is that really your concern, Rocket? They’re all dead!” 

Rocket nods, frowning as he leans forward to the window to look closer, “I can see that. I just... I don’t really know what you want me to say! _Shit_.” 

Drax questions, squinting as his eyes search the destruction, “Do any of you see any survivors?”

His question is answered by a body colliding with the glass. Rocket jumps in surprise, waving his hands as he shouts, “Wipers! Wipers! Get it off!” The man’s eyes snap open and all of them gasp in shock, realising that he’s alive. 

“We gotta get him in here,” Peter says, standing up to get a space suit. Gamora and Drax follow him out of the ship as well, all three of them activating their space suits. Peter reaches the man first, and yeah, he knows when someone is attractive and this guy definitely is.

“Drax, help me out here. Gamora, keep the door open,” Peter orders. Gamora stays at the opening, waiting for Drax and Peter to bring the man back into the ship. Rocket puts the ship on autopilot, kicking things out of the way so Drax, Gamora and Peter can set the man down on the table. Even Groot comes closer to see who they brought in, although he doesn’t put down his video game.

The three of them drop the Asgardian on the table Rocket cleared for them as Mantis and Groot walk over. Peter glances at him, giving himself a moment to appreciate that perhaps the Asgardian has very nice facial features and that perhaps Peter would really like to do something with this guy, but he also knows this isn’t really the right time for it.

“How the hell is this dude still alive?” Peter mumbles, looking over the Asgardian to see if he’s modified like Gamora is. 

Drax stares at the man, saying in awe, “This is not a dude. _You’re_ a dude. This... This is a _man_. A handsome, muscular man.” Peter can’t say he disagrees, but the thing is this; the Guardians don’t really know that Peter kind of likes men too, and he’s not that jazzed about letting them know yet. He’s never met anyone in space yet who’s just like him. None of the Guardians seem to be into their own gender either. Years of tormenting on the school fields and dirty words delivered with a blow to the face have taught Peter that he probably shouldn’t be feeling this way. One of the reasons Peter hates Earth.

“ _I’m_ muscular,” Peter mumbles.

“Who are you kidding, Quill? You’re one sandwich away from fat,” Rocket says, snorting. Peter tries to ignore how easily Rocket throws that out there, but it’s a little hurtful.

“Yeah, right.”

As if Rocket isn’t enough, Drax adds on, “It’s true. You’ve gained a little weight...” Drax motions to his chin and belly, and Peter feels his self deprecation smack him in the face. Gamora doesn’t say anything, but she leaves his side and goes to Thor’s right, circling around the foot of the table.

Peter splutters, a little desperate for someone to not make him feel like shit, “What? Gamora, do you think I’m —“

“He is anxious. Angry. He feels tremendous loss and guilt,” Mantis interrupts, her antennae glowing as she rests her hand on the man’s head gently. Drax comments something about the man being like a pirate and angel’s baby.

Peter feels like fucking crap. He just saved the guy and now his family is insulting him and treating this dude like he’s God. Sure, the man is attractive, muscular, and maybe Drax is right in calling him an angel’s baby, but Peter’s certain that’s no reason to shit on him. It just reminds Peter that the man is out of his league. Probably doesn’t even like men anyway, Peter thinks to himself. _You’re_ _a_ _fucking_ _freak_ , _Quill_. _Get_ _it_ _together_.

“Wow. This is a real wake-up call for me. Okay. I’m gonna get a Bowflex. I’m gonna commit. I’m gonna get some dumbbells,” Peter says instead.

Rocket mocks, “You know you can’t eat dumbbells, right?”

Okay, so maybe Peter isn’t the hottest guy to walk the galaxy, but fuck Rocket for always making him feel like shit. Yeah, Rocket’s always like this. The raccoon rarely gets soft. But it wouldn’t hurt him to just not be so rude sometimes. 

Peter is about to say something when Gamora picks up the man’s arm, stroking his triceps, “It’s like his muscles are made of Cotati metal fibres.” 

Another reminder. _Just_ _breathe_ , _Peter_. _You’re_ _good_.

“Stop massaging his muscles,” Peter says snidely. Gamora drops the arm, glaring at Peter, who says to Mantis, “Wake him up.”

Mantis places a hand on the man’s forehead, whispering, “Wake.”

The man wakes up with a jolt, sitting up violently and throwing himself off the table. He stumbles forward slightly and catches himself on a wall, trying to orient himself. He turns around to see who is with him. By then, each Guardian has a weapon each pointed at him, spare Mantis and Groot, the latter of which is still invested in the video game.

“Who the hell are you guys?” the man asks. Peter blinks — even his voice is hot. Jesus. He has to kick himself mentally to come up with a response.

“We’re the Guardians of the Galaxy, man,” he answers. “Who are you?”

“Thor,” he says slowly. “Son of Odin. God of Thunder.”

The ball drops.

Peter’s fingers graze his wrist lightly, thumb skating over the black lightning bolt on it. Ego had mentioned before, when they met, that there was something about Celestials nobody else knew. They had soulmate marks. Peter thought it was absurd — what use would a Celestial have for a soulmate mark? Peter doesn’t even believe in soulmates. Ego proved it by baring his wrist to Peter — it was a little print of a cassette tape — Meredith Quill. Peter honestly doesn’t even know if he can even consider the soulmark accurate. Ego did kill his so-called soulmate, so he wasn’t exactly selling his point...

Peter’s fingers circle around his wrist, covering the lightning bolt. Maybe the Asgardians have something similar too. He’ll have to find some way to check Thor’s wrist to be sure.

While Thor introduces himself, Gamora went to get the soup they’d been making, pouring some of it into a bowl for Thor. Thor accepts the bowl graciously, mumbling a quick thank you as she hands him a spoon. Drax questions, “What happened?”

“Thanos came for me and my people. He was after the Tesseract. Destroyed our ship,” Thor explains. He pauses for a while, deep in thought, before he mutters, “Thank you for answering the distress call. Regardless whether you were too late or not.” Drax nods as to say it’s no big deal.

Gamora says, “The entire time I knew Thanos, he only ever had one goal: to bring balance to the universe by wiping out half of all life. He used to kill people planet by planet, massacre by massacre...”

“Including my own,” Drax adds bitterly.

“If he gets all six Infinity Stones, he can do it with the snap of his fingers, like this,” Gamora says, snapping her fingers to show just how simple Thanos could accomplish something so frightening. While Gamora explained Thanos, Peter kept his attention on Thor, who seems to be splitting his own attention between Gamora and his soup. He tries to drag his gaze away, get back to the serious matter at hand, but thoughts of lightning bolts keep crossing his mind. What if Ego wasn’t lying about the whole soulmates thing? If this is all true, he can’t possibly hide this from the others anymore... Can he?

“You seem to know a great deal about Thanos,” Thor says, glancing up at Gamora from his bowl of soup. Peter’s attention returns to the conversation, called back from the Asgardian’s voice.

“Gamora... is the daughter of Thanos,” Drax decides is the best thing to say to a guy who just lost half his people to Thanos. Thor’s eyes — well, eye. He kind of has a situation with his right eye — widen as Drax says so, and he stands and strides towards Gamora in what Peter would constitute as aggressive.

He says, voice low, “Your father killed my brother.” Oh, shit.

Peter steps between them to play mediator, pointing out, “ _Stepfather_. Technically, she hates him as much as you do.” Thor’s stare falls on Peter, as if assessing him. His eyes trail up and down Peter before he softens up, giving Gamora a pat on her shoulder.

“Families can be tough. Before my father died, he told me I had a half-sister... that he imprisoned in Hel. Then she returned home, and stabbed me in the eye, so... I had to kill her. It’s life, isn’t it? I guess. Goes round and round and... I feel your pain,” Thor tells his story, sending Gamora a sympathetic look. Peter watches from beside them, thinking how similar they are. Thor’s hand lingers on Gamora’s shoulder longer than Peter would prefer. He and Gamora broke up about eight months before, deciding that they were better off as best friends, but this is Gamora getting closer to ever dating this god than him.

His stupid jealousy forces him between the two of them, saying, “And I feel your pain as well. I mean, I’ve been through a lot too. Not a competition or anything, but my father killed my mother, then I had to kill my father. And that was hard. Probably even harder than having to kill a sister. Plus, I came out of it with both my eyes...” Gamora raises an eyebrow at him, mouthing ‘Really? Now?’ at him. Thor glances between them for a moment.

The god gives Peter a quick smile, “You are strong, Lord of Stars.” It’s not sarcastic at all, and Peter kind of gets whiplash from the barrage of insults given by his family earlier. 

“I—“

“I need a hammer, not a spoon...” Thor notes to himself quietly, not realising Peter was about to say something. Peter deflates a little, earning him a weird look from Gamora, though she doesn’t say anything. 

Thor fiddles with the machinery, mumbling, “How do I open this thing? Is there some sort of a four-digit code, maybe... Maybe a birth date or something...”

Peter squints in confusion at him messing with the control pad of the escape pod and asks, “What are you doing?”

Thor answers simply, “Taking your pod.”

Peter frowns, subconsciously deepening his voice as he says, “No, you’re not. You’ll not be taking our pod today, sir.” Thor stares at him, circling back around to look at Peter. Peter swallows hard under Thor’s gaze, and he hopes he wasn’t loud about it.

Rocket questions, “Quill. Are you making your voice deeper?” Peter denies it, out of some stupid pride thing, but he can’t stop. He’s pretty sure his face is red by now, but he can’t stop.

Drax shakes his head, “You are. You’re imitating the god-man. It’s weird.” Peter denies it again.

Mantis gasps, pointing at him, “He just did it again!”

Peter says, voice still deep, “This is my voice!” He just wishes he can stop. This is so embarrassing. 

Thor’s eyebrows furrow and he walks up close to Peter. His face is just inches away — his lips are just inches away from his own — and Peter’s breath hitches, trying to keep his eyes trained on Thor’s, not letting them drop to Thor’s lips.

Thor asks, “Are you mocking me?”

Peter repeats after him, “Are you mocking me?” _Youaresuchafuckingidiot_ , _Quill_.

“Stop it. You did it again,” Thor frowns.

“He’s trying to copy me.” _Okay_ , _you_ _are_ _officially_ _the_ _dumbest_ _Terran_.

Thor stares at him questioningly. His attention falls on Peter’s lips for just a second — a second Peter doesn’t miss — and then they’re trained on Peter’s eyes again. Thor hesitates for a moment, like he’s scanning Peter, before he just says, “You’re right. I apologise.” The other Guardians look on in surprise at Thor’s false admission. Peter is rendered speechless for once in his life.

“Okay... If you two are done comparing voices, we need to stop Thanos. Which means we need to find out where he’s going next,” Gamora interrupts, clearly having enough of Peter’s antics. 

Thor answers, still in Peter’s personal space, “Knowhere.”

Mantis says, confused, “He must be going somewhere.”

“No. Knowhere? It’s a place. We’ve been there. It sucks,” Peter explains to Mantis. It’s kind of sad that she had that amazing pod but hasn’t seen anything past Ego’s planet. He should probably bring her to see some cool places after this thing with Thanos is over. Thor nods, stepping away from Peter to raid their storage.

“Excuse me, that’s our food,” Peter says weakly.

“Not anymore,” Thor replies. Peter doesn't attempt to stop him.

Gamora ignores Thor blatantly stealing their food and asks, “Thor, why would he go to Knowhere?” Thor takes a bite of the snack he took.

“Because for years, the Reality Stone has been safely stored, there with a man we call the Collector,” Thor answers her question. 

Peter frowns, “If it’s with the Collector, then it’s not safe. Only an idiot would give that man a stone.”

“Or a genius,” Thor says, sending Peter a brief smile. Peter looks away. Rocket catches that.

“How do you know he’s not going for one of the other Stones?” Gamora asks.

Thor explains, stepping in front of Gamora, “There’s six Stones out there. Thanos already has the Power Stone because he stole it last week, when he decimated Xandar. He stole the Space Stone from me when he destroyed my ship and slaughtered half my people. The Time and Mind Stones are safe on Earth. They’re with the Avengers.”

“The Avengers? There’s no such thing,” Peter says, laughing a little. _What_ _the_ _hell_ _is_ _an_ _Avenger_?

Thor blinks at him, “You _are_ from Earth, yes?”

“Well, yeah, but... It’s been a while, I guess,” Peter says slowly. Thor looks curiously at him, like he wants to ask something, but he decides against it.

“They’re Earth’s mightiest heroes,” Thor explains. He’s still looking at Peter.

Mantis asks excitedly, “Like Kevin Bacon?”

Thor thinks for a while before saying, “He may be on the team. I don’t know. Haven’t been there in a while. As for the Soul Stone, well, no one’s ever seen that. No one even knows where it is. Therefore, Thanos can’t get it. Therefore, he’s going to Knowhere. Hence, he’ll be getting the Reality Stone. You’re welcome.” 

Gamora nods, deciding their next course of action, “Then we have to go to Knowhere now.”

“Wrong. Where we have to go is Nidavellir,” Thor rejects.

“That’s a made up word,” Drax says.

“All words are made up,” Thor replies bluntly.

Rocket jumps up onto the table, saying gleefully, “Hold up, Nidavellir is real? Seriously? I mean, that place is a legend! They make the most powerful, horrific weapons to ever torment the universe. I would very much like to go there, please.” Thor’s grin widens with every word Rocket cheers.

“The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you,” Thor says, smiling. Rocket frowns, bewildered at ‘rabbit’, and Thor continues to Rocket, “Only Eitri the dwarf king can make me the weapon I need. I assume you’re the captain, sir?”

Rocket smiles, liking the authority, “You’re very perceptive.” Peter glares at him and Rocket rolls his eyes.

Thor nods once, requesting eagerly, “You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest to Nidavellir?” 

Rocket basks in the mistake made by Thor, rubbing in, “Lemme just ask the captain. Oh, wait a second, it’s me! Yeah, I’ll go.” Thor grins again, commenting about how wonderful it is that Rocket has agreed to go.

Peter pipes up, “Except for that _I’m_ the captain.” Thor pauses, turning to look at Peter again. His stare is a little longer now, like there’s something about Peter that’s nagging at him. Peter returns the look, raising his eyebrows, “What?” 

“You never did tell me your name, Lord of Stars,” Thor mutters. Rocket glances between Peter and Thor, confused at the random question. Peter shrugs at Rocket, not knowing what’s Thor’s deal either.

“Peter,” he says. “Peter Quill. Why?”

Thor’s eye widens a little at that, but he covers it up with a quick nod, picking up a backpack, “Just wasn’t aware. I’ll be borrowing your captain, Quill.” 

Peter points at the bag as Thor slings it over his shoulders, pointing out, “That’s my backpack.” Thor pats the strap once.

“Just think of it as something to remember you by. It’s just a backpack,” Thor says. Peter furrows his eyebrows in question, but he decides not to push it further.

“What kind of weapon are we talking about here?” Peter asks.

“The Thanos-killing kind,” Thor answers. Peter thinks about it for a moment as Thor shoves some more stolen food into Peter’s backpack.

“Don’t you think that we should all have a weapon like that? Maybe all of us should hit Needlevalley or whatever it’s called. For a weapon,” Peter says. Gamora looks slightly interested when Peter raises the question.

“It’s Nidavellir,” Thor says softly, stopping in front of Peter. They’re basically as close as they were when Peter was copying his voice. “and no. You all simply lack the strength to wield them. Your bodies will crumble as your minds collapse into the madness.”

“Okay,” Peter whispers.

Rocket asks, practically bouncing off the walls by now, “Is it weird that I wanna do it even more now?” Thor nods slowly, a little weirded out.

Gamora tries to convince Thor not to go to Nidavellir, “If we don’t go to Knowhere and Thanos retrieves another stone, he’ll be too powerful to stop.”

Thor sighs, “He already is.”

Rocket waves dismissively, already working on the pod’s control panel, “I got it figured out. We got two ships, and a large assortment of morons. So me and Groot will go with the pirate-angel here, and the morons will go to Knowhere to try and stop Thanos. Cool? Cool.”

“So cool,” Thor grins. Peter’s heart kind of speeds up a little.

Peter pulls Rocket aside, whispering, “For the record, I know that you’re only going with him because it’s where Thanos isn’t.” Rocket stays silent for a second, thinking of ways to respond to that. 

“You know, Quill, you shouldn’t talk that way to your captain,” Rocket settles on saying. Peter rolls his eyes as Rocket gestures to Groot, “Come on, Groot. Put that game down, you’ll rot your brain.”

Thor takes his seat in the pod, saying loudly, “I bid you farewell and good luck, morons.” He looks towards Peter when he says, “Maybe we will meet once more.”

Everyone waves goodbye except Peter, who just blinks blankly as the pod detaches itself and flies away. Gamora turns to Peter, asking quietly, “Can I talk to you, Peter?” Peter nods, allowing Gamora to drag him aside. She calls out at the doorway, “Mantis, set a course for Knowhere, please.” Mantis lets her know she’s on it, and Gamora pulls Peter into his room, shutting the door.

“What did you want to talk about?” Peter asks.

“This is an intervention,” Gamora clarifies. “What was with you and Thor?”

“Nothing,” Peter replies a little too quickly. “What makes you think that?”

Gamora gives him an unimpressed look, “Ever since he introduced himself, you’ve been acting strangely. More strange than usual. Is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything.”

“Nothing to tell you. Look, I’m _fine_ , okay? Thanks for asking,” Peter mutters, leaving his room.

* * *

Peter checks back on Gamora after an hour or so — pretty hard to keep track of time, sometimes — and sees her brooding, activating the spring-action blades on the same dagger. He asks, “What’s up?”

“I need to ask a favour,” she says, turning to face him. 

Peter nods slowly, “Yeah, sure.”

“One way or another, the path that we’re on leads to Thanos,” Gamora starts. Peter nods again, beckoning Gamora to continue, and she does, “If things go wrong, if Thanos gets me, I want you to promise me... you’ll kill me.”

Peter looks at her, confused on multiple levels, before asking, mind blank, “What?”

Gamora explains, “I know something he doesn’t. If he finds out, the entire universe could be at risk.” Peter asks what does she know, and she tells him the obvious: that if she tells him, he’d know too.

“If it’s so important, shouldn’t I?” Peter asks, trying to convince her to tell him. 

She says sombrely, “Only if you want to die.” Peter sighs, stressed.

“Why does somebody always have to die in this scenario?” he asks, tense for Gamora’s sake.

She hesitates for a moment before saying, “Just trust me. And possibly kill me.”

Peter tries to joke to lighten the mood, ease Gamora out of the demanding favour, “I mean, I’d like to. I really would —“ Gamora cuts him off by covering his mouth with her hand.

“Swear to me. Swear to me on your mother,” she says quietly.

She’s _serious_. 100% serious. _Holy_ _shit_.

“Okay,” Peter finally says. “I don’t like this, though. I don’t want to kill my own family.”

“Then let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that,” Gamora responds before she leaves the area. Peter sighs heavily, mood dampened by the favour. He looks out the window at the stars and wonders if Rocket, Groot and Thor are at Nidavellir already.

* * *

They arrive at Knowhere and Peter immediately observes, “This place looks deserted.”

Drax informs him, staring at his device, “I’m reading movement from the third quadrant.”

Peter agrees, “Yep. I’m picking that up too. Let’s put it down right here.” Peter lands the ship in an obscure location and the four of them disembark it. They sneak into the Collector’s collection room, and Peter’s surprised at how much of it is in ruins already. He takes a peek, and all of them hide behind the rubble when they see Thanos threatening the Collector.

“I don’t have it,” the Collector says desperately.

Thanos sneers, “Everyone in the galaxy knows you’d sell your own brother if you thought it would add the slightest trinket to your pathetic collection.” Peter holds up a fist to tell the other Guardians to stop moving, but as expected, they ignore him. They walk past him quietly and Peter rolls his eyes, following close behind. Thanos continues, “I know you have the Reality Stone, Tivan. Giving it to me will spare you a great deal of suffering.” He places a heavy boot on the Collector’s chest and steps down.

The Collector says, strained, “I told you. I sold it. Why would I lie?”

“I imagine it’s like breathing for you,” Thanos quips.

“Like suicide,” the Collector chuckles weakly.

Thanos smirks, “So you _do_ understand. Not even you would surrender something so precious.”

The Collector defends, “I didn’t know what it was.”

Thanos asks, unimpressed, “Then you’re more of a fool than I took you for. Last chance, charlatan. Where’s the Stone?” Peter, Gamora, Mantis and Drax watch quietly, trying to plot their next move.

“Today...” Drax mutters. 

Peter notices Drax beginning to move and he hisses, “Drax. _Drax_!”

“... he pays for the deaths of my wife and daughter,” Drax growls. Peter reaches out and grabs his arm, trying to pull him back. He’s not exactly very effective, considering that Drax has arms twice the size of Peter’s.

“Drax, _wait_ ,” he says. “Not yet, not yet. Drax, _Drax_! He doesn’t have the Stone yet. We get it and then we can stop him. We have to get the Stone first. Yeah?” For a moment, Peter thinks he got to Drax, but he glares in Thanos’ direction, continuing to move forward.

“No. No. For Ovette. For Camaria.”

Peter struggles to stop Drax from going over until Mantis presses a hand on the back of Drax’s head, mumbling, “Sleep.” Drax is instantly knocked out, his falling body causing a loud crash. The three of them duck just as the Collector and Thanos look over. Thanos frowns, picking up the Collector and throwing him into a glass case, walking towards the sound.

Peter whispers, “Okay. Gamora, Mantis, you go right. I’m —“ Gamora goes left, towards Thanos, and Peter whispers more harshly, “The _other_ right!”

Gamora cries out in vengeance, leaping on Thanos from a stack of boxes. She swings her sword at him and Thanos snaps it in half easily. Gamora jumps up and stabs him in the throat with the stub. Thanos’ lower jaw sags and he lets out a hoarse groan, before Gamora stabs him again in the chest with the dagger Peter saw her with earlier.

“Why?” Thanos mutters weakly as he falls. “Why you? Daughter...” He holds his arm out towards her, blood pooling out of his neck wound, before he collapses entirely. Gamora begins to sob in relief — it’s over.

Peter looks on, surprised, as he lowers his gun, “That was quick.”

The Collector claps, cheering, “Magnificent! Magnificent! Magnificent!” 

Suddenly, Thanos’ disembodied voice fills the place, saying, “Is it sadness I sense in you, daughter? In my heart, I knew you still cared. But one never knows for sure. Reality is often disappointing.” Gamora switches from crying to being alarmed, and Mantis, Drax and Peter are instantly on guard again. The scene fades out with a wave of red — instead of being in ruins, everything is destroyed or on fire, and the Collector waves goodbye as he also disappears. Thanos continues, stepping into view, “That is, it was. Now... reality can be whatever I want.”

Gamora glares at him, no longer crying, stating, “You knew I’d come.”

“I _counted_ on it. There’s something we need to discuss, little one,” Thanos begins. Gamora hesitates for a beat before she reaches for her broken sword. Thanos grabs her by the neck and swings her around. Drax leaps into action, screaming Thanos’ name, but with a gesture, Drax and Mantis are broken down — Drax tumbles into cubes and Mantis bursts into ribbon. Peter moves in on Thanos, gun raised at Thanos.

“Let her go, Grimace!” Peter shouts.

“Peter...” Gamora says weakly, unable to move under Thanos’ tight grip. Peter gives her a pained look. There’s so much he wants to say to her. It’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna get you out of there. We’re gonna beat this piece of shit together. He’s not gonna hurt you. He will never hurt you again.

“I told you to go right,” he says instead. 

“Now? Really?” Gamora asks, starting to cry again.

Peter yells once more, “You let her go!”

“Ah, the boyfriend,” Thanos says, a light smile on his face. Peter wants so badly to slap it off him.

“Not anymore. I like to think of myself more as a Titan-killing asshole. Let her go,” Peter says. Gamora calls his name again, and Peter knows what she’s trying to tell him, but he doesn’t want to face it. So he threatens, “Or I’m gonna blow that nutsack of a chin right off your face!”

“Not him,” Gamora says softly. Peter slows down. His gun is still pointed at Thanos, but he doesn’t pull the trigger. Gamora shouts, a little more desperately this time, “You promised! You promised.”

“Oh, daughter. You expect too much from him,” Thanos mocks. He looks at Peter, commanding, “She’s asked, hasn’t she? Do it.” Peter’s gun is still trained on Thanos and Gamora sobs quietly, though her silence is broken by her scream when Thanos shoves her forward, towards Peter’s gun. He encourages, “Do it!”

Peter’s hand is shaking as he brings the gun down. It’s pointing right at Gamora’s face now. He tears up, saying once more, “I told you to go right.”

“I love you, Peter,” Gamora says, crying. “Thank you, all of you, for everything.”

“I love you too,” Peter says genuinely, hand shaking more than ever. He squeezes his eyes shut and pulls the trigger painfully.

A gentle stream of bubbles is ejected from the gun.

Peter gets a sinking feeling in his chest when he doesn’t hear Gamora go down and they both open their eyes, watching his gun disappear into bubbles as well.

“I like you,” Thanos grins.

Thanos teleports Gamora and himself away without another word. Peter catches Gamora’s desolate look before she disappears with Thanos. Drax and Mantis’ bodies reassemble as Peter picks up Gamora’s sword. The gun returns to Peter’s spare hand, the Reality Stone’s effects reversed in its absence. Peter stares at the sword in silence, wondering just what the hell to do next. The lightning bolt on his wrist peeks out from under his jacket’s sleeve, and he remembers that Rocket, Groot and Thor are still getting the Thanos-killing weapon. He doesn’t know where Thanos has taken Gamora so he can’t follow.

“What do we do now?” Mantis asks.

“I don’t know,” Peter answers, tired. “Let’s just go back to the ship.”

* * *

Peter sits up when the quietness of the ship hits him. He yells, “Turn it back on!”

“No!”

Peter grits his teeth, annoyed, and gets up, trying to find Drax. He demands again, “Turn it back on!”

Drax denies, coming into view, “No! You’ve been playing the same song for five hours!”

Peter argues, trying to grab Drax who avoids him by circling the opposite end of the table, “I need to get back into my groove! Specifically, the New York Groove!” He holds out a hand, “Give me the Zune.”

“No!”

“Give me the Zune!”

“No!”

“I said give me the zune, Drax!”

“You can’t keep playing this!”

“I will kill both of you if it will stop that blinking yellow light,” Mantis says, swaying in a daze as she stares at said blinking yellow light. 

Peter stops in his tracks, his original cause for anger at Drax transitioning into another, “Mantis, that’s supposed to mean we have secret important messages! Drax, you were supposed to watch the blinking yellow light!” Drax stops as well, looking at the light.

“I was following your orders,” Drax defends himself. Peter frowns at him, confused, and Drax explains, “You said if it was yellow, let it mellow. It it was brown, flush it down.”

Peter stares at him in disbelief, saying, “I wasn’t talking about the light — Ugh. Whatever.” He walks over to the device, checking it, and he laughs bitterly, “Look at that! Twenty-four secret important messages! Twenty-five!” He glares at Drax, noting, “Would’ve been real helpful. We’ve been sitting here. Five hours. Five hours, we’ve been sitting here.”

He opens the messages, and realises that they’re all from Nebula, telling Mantis to go to Titan and that Thanos has Gamora.

“We’re going to Titan,” Peter announces, walking away to set a course. “Let’s kill the son of a bitch.”

* * *

“I sense activity,” Peter informs as his helmet activates. 

Drax nods, determined, “It has to be Thanos.” 

This time, Peter doesn’t try to stop Drax, Mantis and him following as Drax leaps out of the ship.

" _Thanos_!"

Drax jumps down onto the man suited in red and gold armour. Peter and Mantis follow him out, Peter’s mask activated and guns raised for combat. Mantis seems to have chosen the least threatening of all three to go for — the shortest and skinniest of them, in armour with a spider sprawled across the front. The armoured spider person falls in shock, shouting, "Oh, my God! Please don't put your eggs in me!" The cape belonging to the funny looking dude flies over to Drax, bounding itself firmly around his hands so he can't hurt the armoured man. They’re formidable opponents, actually. The red and gold guy’s technology is advanced an Peter’s sure he didn’t get it from space. The skinny guy doesn’t seem that impressive from what Peter’s seen — him cowering from Mantis. The magician doesn’t look like he wants to hurt them. He’s not actively attacking them.

Drax yells, trying to tear the cape off, "Die, Blanket of Death!" 

Peter grabs the skinny spider dude, pressing his gun to his temple as he says loudly, catching everyone's attention, "Everybody stay where you are, chill the F out… I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where is Gamora?"

The three strangers frown at Gamora’s name and the red and gold one replies, "Yeah, I'll do you one better. _Who_ is Gamora?" 

Drax shouts from under Tony's foot, "I'll do you one better! _Why_ is Gamora?" 

Red and gold dude blinks at him, a weird look on his face. Peter withdraws his mask and threatens, pressing the gun harder against his hostage, "Let him go, or I swear to you, I'm gonna french fry this little freak." 

The armoured man tenses up at that and his arm transforms into a fucking blaster as he aims it down at Drax, countering, "Let's do it. You shoot my kid and I'll blast him. Let's go!" _His_ _kid_?

Drax calls out to Peter, "Do it, Quill. I can take it." 

Mantis cries out, "No, he can't take it." Peter realises that she’s bound by webbing, no doubt by the spider kid.

The magician agrees, "She's right. You can't."

Peter says impatiently, "Oh yeah? You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's _fine_. I'll kill all three of you and I'll beat it out of Thanos myself! Starting with you." 

He directs the last word to the kid and the magician raises an eyebrow, "Wait what, _Thanos_? All right... Let me ask you this one time... What master do you serve?" 

Peter stares at the magician like he's a weirdo and asks sarcastically, "What _master_ do I serve? What am I supposed to say, _Jesus_?"

"You're from Earth," Red-And-Gold realises. 

Peter corrects, "Not from Earth. I'm from Missouri." 

Armour man stares at him like he's stupid and replies, "Yeah, that's on Earth, dipshit. What are you hassling us for?” 

The kid asks timidly, “So you're not with Thanos?” Peter gives him a bewildered look.

"With Thanos? No! I'm here to kill Thanos. He took Gamora. Wait, who are you?" He asks, lowering his gun from the kid’s temple.

The kid answers from Peter’s grip, "We're the Avengers, man." 

Mantis pipes up excitedly, "You're the ones Thor told us about!" 

Red-And-Gold raises his eyebrows in surprise, "You know Thor?" 

Peter thinks, “Yeah, I know Thor. He’s the most handsome guy I have ever seen and I’ve been to most parts of the galaxy. He took my backpack and he said it was to remember me. He said we might meet again. He asked me about my name. He’s the god of thunder. I have a lightning bolt soulmark on my wrist. I think Thor’s my soulmate.”

Peter says instead, "Yeah. Tall guy, not that good-looking.”

“Where is he now?” Red-And-Gold asks. Drax tells him Nidavellir, and all rivalry is forgotten. Peter releases the kid from his hold and the armoured man steps off Drax, letting him stand again. 

The kid turns to face Peter, introducing enthusiastically, “Hi, my name’s Peter Parker.” The red and gold man rolls his eyes a little at that.

Peter replies, “Star-Lord.”

“Oh, made-up names. Right. Um, I’m Spider-Man,” Parker says.

“Yeah, what’s your actual name?” Red-And-Gold asks flatly, ignoring the kid. Peter sighs.

“Peter Quill. That’s Drax, and that’s Mantis,” he says. Red-And-Gold introduces himself as Tony Stark and the magician as Stephen Strange. Peter nods, making a mental note of who’s who.

“So why are you after Thanos? Maybe we can work together. Quid pro quo,” Tony begins.

* * *

Groot mutters, irritated, “I am Groot.”

Rocket rolls his eyes, “Tinkle in the cup. We’re not looking. What’s there to see? What’s a twig? Everybody’s seen a twig.” 

Groot argues, “I am Groot.”

“Tree, pour what’s in the cup out in space, and go in the cup again,” Thor replies, staring out the rear portholes. Rocket looks up at him, surprised and impressed.

“You speak Groot?”

“Yes, they taught it on Asgard. It was an elective,” Thor explains.

Groot asks, “I am Groot?”

Thor replies, “You’ll know when we’re there. Nivadellir’s forge harnesses the power of a blazing neutron star.” He gets a nostalgic look in his eyes as he sits down by the window, “It’s the birth place of my hammer. It’s truly awesome.” The nostalgia melts into a daze as he looks out, sad.

Rocket notices Thor and sighs, muttering to himself, “Okay, time to be a captain.” He walks to a console near Thor, pressing two buttons as he starts up a conversation, “So, dead brother, huh? Yeah, that can be annoying.” 

Thor shrugs slightly, but it’s clear that he’s pained, “Well, he’s been dead before, but this time I think it really might be true.”

Rocket asks, “And you said your sister and your dad?”

“Both dead,” Thor says.

Rocket blinks, asking, “Still got a mom, though?”

“Killed by a dark elf,” Thor answers. Rocket’s running out of people to list, and Thor just seems to be getting sadder by the second.

“A best friend?” Rocket tries. He _can’t_ have lost everyone. Not yet.

“Stabbed through the heart,” Thor says. Rocket can’t believe he’s admitting this, but he actually feels sorry for him. Hell, if he’s honest, he feels sorry for the other Guardians as well. Rocket’s family abandoned him because he became different. Gamora was abducted and raised by flarking Thanos. Rocket’s pretty sure Mantis was abandoned as a child before Ego of all people picked her up. Drax lost his family to Thanos. Peter lost his mom to cancer, got abducted, then had to kill his dad. They’re all pretty messed up — except Groot — but Rocket would never admit it.

The thing is... The Guardians, they’re all conditioned for this type of thing. Sure, maybe it’s taxing at times, but they’re used to it. People like them don’t get what they want. They steal it. If they’re lucky, they’ll find it at the ass end of the galaxy. This guy’s a king. He’s had stuff handed to him his whole life.

“Are you sure you’re up to this particular murder mission?” Rocket finally asks.

Thor smiles widely, but Rocket knows it’s plastic, just for show. Thor nods, “Absolutely. Rage, vengeance, anger, loss, regret... They’re all tremendous motivators. They really clear the mind. So I’m good to go.”

Rocket says hesitantly, “Yeah, but this Thanos we’re talking about... He’s the toughest there is.”

Thor replies, “Well, he’s never fought me.”

Rocket stares at him, “Yeah, he has.”

Thor corrects, “He’s never fought me _twice_. And I’m getting a new hammer, don’t forget.”

Rocket mumbles, “Better be some hammer... Could be worse, Quill made us turn back during an escape mission to get a walkman.” 

Thor’s gaze snaps to Rocket at the mention of Peter, but he doesn’t talk about it, returning to the original subject, “You know, I’m 1500 years old. I’ve killed twice as many enemies as that, and every one would have rather killed me but none succeeded. I’m only alive because fate wants me alive. Thanos is the latest in a long line of bastards and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so.”

“And what if you’re wrong?” Rocket asks quietly.

Thor’s hand traces over his wrist, muttering, “If I’m wrong, then... what more could I lose?” He sniffs and hastily wipes his eye, standing. He moves towards the front of the pod, and Rocket catches a glimpse of a tattoo on Thor’s wrist. He sees a ‘Q’ for a brief moment before it’s out of his view. Do Asgardians even get tattoos?

“I could lose a lot. Me, personally, I could lose a lot,” Rocket mumbles to himself, thinking about his newfound family. He stands still for a moment before he pulls out an eyeball from his pocket, walking back up to Thor, “Okay. If fate does want you to kill that crapsack... You’re gonna need more than one stupid eyeball.”

Thor takes the eyeball from Rocket, asking, “What’s this?”

“What’s it look like? Some jerk lost a bet with me on Contraxia,” Rocket says, taking a seat at the pilot’s seat. 

Thor questions, “He gave you his eye?”

Rocket shakes his head, taking the pod off autopilot, “He gave me a hundred credits. I snuck in later that night and stole his eye.” Thor thanks him, still calling him sweet rabbit, he places the eyeball into his socket. Even Groot looks away from his video game to watch in awe. Rocket glances at him and says nervously, “Oh, I would’ve washed that. The only way I could sneak it off Contraxia was up my —“ A beep interrupts him and he announces, “We’re here!”

Thor smacks his palm against the side of his head to calibrate the eye, “I don’t think this thing works. Everything seems dark.” 

Rocket shakes his head, “It ain’t the eye.” Nidavellir is dark and motionless, looking inhabited.

Thor frowns, standing and moving closer to get a better look, “Something’s wrong. The star’s gone out. and the rings are frozen.” Rocket steers the pod down, landing it. The three disembark, walking through the messy and abandoned place. Groot follows blindly, still playing his video game.

Rocket mutters, “I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning. Maybe they realised they live in a junk pile in the middle of space.”

Thor rejects the idea, “This forge hasn’t gone dark in centuries.” One of the items on a pedestal catches Rocket’s attention.

“You said Thanos had a gauntlet, right?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Look anything like that?”

Thor gets a sinking feeling and Groot mumbles uneasily, “I am Groot.”

“Go back to the pod,” Thor says to the young tree. Suddenly, a massive figure storms towards them, whacking Thor away with one swing of his arm. He kicks Rocket and Groot against a wall of equipment.

Thor holds out a hand, shouting, “Eitri, wait! Stop!”

“Thor?” Eitri realises, slowing to a halt on his attacks. Rocket and Groot get up, a little disoriented from the sudden ambush. When Thor said dwarf, Rocket assumed the guy wouldn’t be this huge.

Thor asks, standing when he knows Eitri isn’t going to attack them anymore, “What happened here?”

Eitri yells, distraught and accusing, “You were supposed to protect us! Asgard was supposed to protect us!”

“Asgard is destroyed!” Thor says before Eitri gets any ideas about taking his anger out on Thor. Eitri finally believes that Thanos destroyed Asgard and that Thor is in a similar situation. Thor points at the gauntlet, asking, “Eitri, the glove. What did you do?”

Eitri walks brokenly across the space to sit heavily, leaning against an ore skip. Rocket and Groot stand, and Groot checks if his video game console is alright. Eitri tells Thor, “Three hundred dwarves lived on this ring. I thought if I did what he asked, they’d be safe. I made what he wanted, a device capable of harnessing the power of the stones. Then he killed everyone anyway. All except me. ‘Your life is yours’, he said. ‘But your hands are mine alone’.” Eitri holds up his immobile fists, encased in hardened molten metal. Thor glances at the hands apologetically.

“Eitri, this isn’t about your hands. Every weapon you’ve designed, every axe, hammer, sword... It’s all inside your head. Now, I know all hope feels lost. Trust me, I _know_ ,” Thor says, easing Eitri into helping them. Rocket catches a glimpse of Thor’s wrist again, for a quick second. There’s a ‘P’ on his wrist as well. Thor continues, “But together, you and I, we can kill Thanos.”

* * *

Peter sits alone in the ship, listening to Fooled Around and Fell In Love, reminiscing about Gamora. That bastard has her and there’s nothing he can do about it. Stephen walks into the ship and asks, “What are you doing? The others are outside.” 

Peter looks up, startled by the sudden appearance of the wizard, before his head drops to stare at his shoes, “Hey, Doc. Uh, nothing.” 

Stephen doesn’t bother prying, but he points toward the cassette tape next to Peter and asks, “What's that?” 

Peter takes the cassette and answers, “This? My mom made it for me before she died.”

“I'm sorry,” Stephen apologises. Peter shrugs him off, assuring him that he’s good.

“It’s fine. I avenged her.” 

Stephen raises an eyebrow in vague interest, “Avenged her? She was murdered?” 

Peter nods, kicking absently at a stray screwdriver, “By my dad. He put a tumour in her head and I killed him. Nobody fucks with my mom.” Stephen has a look in his eyes — Peter can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but it looks like he’s a little envious. Maybe of his relationship with his mom. Peter knows not everyone is on good terms with their parents. He’s lucky he was so close to his mom.

“She was everything to you,” Stephen says, not revealing much about what he’s thinking.

“She _is_ ,” Peter corrects. Meredith will always be everything to him.

Stephen listens to the track for a few more seconds before noting, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love, Elvis Bishop." 

Peter looks at him in surprise, "You know this song?" None of the Guardians — or the Ravagers, for that matter — know the music he listens to. 

Stephen forces a smile, asking, "How couldn't I? It's good." Peter assumes the fake smile is due to the stress of their current situation. Peter gives him a smile, hoping to ease him up.

Peter tell him, "This is the first song I ever showed her." 

Stephen asks for clarification, "Gamora?" Peter nods and Stephen compliments, "It's a great first song to show your girlfriend." 

Peter agrees, "Yeah, it is.” Though Gamora isn’t his girlfriend anymore, she _was_ his girlfriend before, so Stephen technically isn’t wrong in calling her his girlfriend. He changes the subject before his grief over Gamora takes over the fight in him, “Okay, listen. I wanna make a mixtape for you."

Stephen is clearly taken aback by the sudden offer and asks, "Now? I appreciate the thought, but now isn't a good time for that." 

Peter speaks quietly, "Please. I need this. I need to keep busy until Thanos arrives.” It’s not like Peter to talk quietly. He’s always loud. Stephen sighs, but he relents anyway. He insists it be made for Tony instead. 

Peter nods, already coming up with the track-list in his mind, as he asks, “Hey, yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. Are you guys together? Which is totally cool, by the way. I —“ 

Stephen cuts him off, “Yeah, we’re dating. Have been for two years.” 

 _Holy_ _shit_. _Holy_ _fucking_ _shit_. _They_ _like_ _boys_. _I’m_ _not_ _alone_. _I’m_ _not_ _a_ _freak_. _You’re_ _normal_ , _Quill_. _There’s_ _nothing_ _wrong_ _with_ _you_. _You’re_ _okay_. _You_ _like_ _boys_ _and_ _that’s_ _okay_. A million thoughts bombard Peter’s brain when Stephen confirms him and Tony’s relationship. Peter breaks into a genuine smile, the first time Stephen’s seen him do so since their violent first meeting.

“Okay, cool. I’m bi, so it’s really nice to see other humans like me around,” Peter says, sincerely happy. He’s putting it far too lightly. It’s better than cool, it’s freaking amazing. Peter feels like a huge weight has dropped off his chest. He feels more him than he’s ever felt. Who knew validation was all he needed to not feel so shit about himself?

Peter’s sure Stephen knows what’s going through his mind, because the smile he gives him is genuine and understanding as he says, “I can see how that can be.”

Peter turns around, newfound energy in him as he grabs an unlabelled cassette tape, saying, “Okay, I’ll make you guys a mixtape. Thank you for this, Doc. I need it. I hope she’s okay.” Stephen nods, agreeing.

When Stephen steps off the ship, Peter laughs to himself, a thumb running over the lightning bolt. _You_ _aren’t_ _a_ _freak_. 

* * *

“This is the plan? We’re gonna hit him with a _brick_?” Rocket asks, unimpressed.

Eitri explains, “It’s a mould. A king’s weapon. Meant to be the greatest in Asgard. In theory, it could even summon the Bifrost.” Thor asks if it has a name, and Eitri responds with Stormbreaker,

Rocket mutters, “That’s a bit much.”

“So how do we make it?” Thor asks, ready. Eitri tells him that they have to restart the forge and awaken the heart of a dying star. Thor tells Rocket to fire up the pod. Rocket obeys, getting back into the pod while Groot sits down somewhere, playing his game. Thor jumps from the hull of the pod onto the ring surface with a cable in his hand attached to the pod.

“I don’t think you get the scientifics here. These rings are gigantic. You wanna get them moving, you’re gonna need something a lot bigger to yank ‘em loose,” Rocket says. He’s hooked Thor and Eitri up with communication devices so they can talk easily.

Thor replies, “Leave that to me.”

Rocket almost laughs in disbelief, “Leave that to you? Buddy, you’re in _space_. All you got is a rope and a —“ He’s cut off with the pod’s sudden movement. He screams when he realises it’s from Thor swinging it around him like it’s nothing. After building up momentum with three good loops, he slacks his grip enough to send the pod shooting away from Nidavellir, trailing him behind it.

“Fire the engines!” Thor calls out. Rocket gets over his surprise and puts the proverbial pedal to the metal. As the pod skims over the surface of the next sing, Thor reaches down and digs one hand into the surface, then both feet. The accumulation of ice on the ring’s surface cracks when Thor’s legs cut through it. Thor demands, “More power, rabbit!” Rocket accelerates even more and the ring finally spin free, realigning into effective configuration as the star bursts back into life.

Eitri watches from the ground, smiling as he praises, “Well done, boy.”

Thor laughs, pointing to the star, “That’s Nivadellir!”

Rocket gazes at the blazing core, amazed beyond words. An iris on the cladding around the star opens, firing pure stellar heat through the ring portals and into the forge until the damaged mechanism fails, crumbling loose and slamming shut. The iris closes and the beam of light trails off.

“Damn it,” Eitri mutters under his breath.

“‘Damn it’? What’s ‘damn it’?” Rocket asks, looking for an explanation as to why it closed.

Eitri explains, “The mechanism is crippled. With the iris closed, I can’t heat the metal.”

Thor asks, “How long will it take to heat?”

“A few minutes, maybe more. Why?”

Thor stands up, saying, “I’m gonna hold it open.” 

Eitri tries to talk him out of it, “That’s suicide!”

Thor leaps from the pod to the star’s iris, replying, “So is facing Thanos without that axe.” He lands on it, saying to himself, “Allfathers, give me strength.”

Eitri checks, “You understand, boy? You’re about to take the full force of a star. It’ll kill you.”

“Only if I die,” Thor says, taking deep breaths to prepare himself. Eitri stares up at Thor from where he is, boggled.

“Yes. That’s what... ‘killing you’ means,” Eitri says. Thor grasps two levers and pulls them down and towards himself, slowly opening the iris. The stream of stellar energy blasts past him and into the forge once again. Eitri shouts, “Hold it! Hold it, Thor!” Eitri watches the metal ingots melt under the intense heat while Thor gets increasingly charred by the star.

Somewhere in the light, when Thor is screaming to force his consciousness not to leave him, he sees someone. A woman. Thor thinks her to be of Midgard descent. She looks a little familiar. The woman only says five words, “Take care of him. Please.” Before Thor can even comprehend who’s ‘him’ or her identity, she disappears, and Thor passes out.

Eitri pours the metal into the mould, finally able to tip the cauldron. The jet carries Thor off the forge, Rocket following hastily to try and catch him. He isn’t fast enough and Thor crashes into a structure, falling limply off it to land on the floor. Groot glances up from his game, looking over at Thor in concern. Rocket gets off the pod, running over to Thor and falling to his knees next to his body.

“Thor! Say something. Come on. Thor, you okay?” Rocket asks, shaking his arm. Thor looks far from okay. Eitri urgently drags the mould, still glowing red with hear, onto the floor. It breaks it loose from its frame when it collides with the floor. Eitri starts to punch the mould itself with his metal fists to free the axe. Rocket shouts, anxious, “I think he’s dying!”

“He needs the axe! Where’s the handle? Tree, help me find the handle!” Eitri says, just as anxious as Rocket. Groot finally tears his eyes away from the game, looking at Thor’s charred and unmoving body.

In Thor’s mind, the woman is there again. Her face resembles someone, but Thor can’t place his finger on who exactly. He calls out to her, “Who are you?”

She gives him a light smile, “Well, that’s not really important.”

“It’s important to me,” Thor insists. “Who are you? Who’s ‘him’? Why do I have to take care of him?”

“You’ll know,” she says. A song plays — Thor can only make out the faint lyrics ‘My life, my love and my lady is the sea’ — and the woman fades away again. 

Thor shouts, “Wait! Who’s ‘him’?” There’s no answer.

Groot scowls with determination and extends his fingers towards Stormbreaker. He twines them around the two parts, crying out at the burning pain, but keeps going. He slams them together, locking them into a singular structure with his hand. He raises it above his head and chops his extended arm so that it is now the handle of Stormbreaker.

Thor’s fingers twitch, and lightning sparks between Thor’s fingers. Rocket notices it, shouting to Eitri, “He’s waking up!” Eitri runs over to see Stormbreaker levitating to Thor’s hand, lightning flashing bright.

Thor sees a flash of a location on Earth when the Stormbreaker enters his grip — that’s where he has to go. The Mind Stone. Rocket stares in amazement at Thor, how he was almost dead a few moments ago but is now crackling with revived power. Rocket grins, nodding, “Great. Now let’s go send Quill a message. We can join up with them.”

“No,” Thor says. “We have to go to Earth.”

“Wh— Earth?” Rocket repeats. “No way they’re there. Quill hasn’t been to Earth in thirty years.” Thor’s interest is piqued slightly, but he ignores it. There’s no time.

“We need to go there for the Mind Stone. I’m sure Quill has the Power Stone by now and the Strangest of Doctors has the Time Stone,” Thor explains, walking back towards the pod. He turns to Eitri and nods once, “Thank you, Eitri. I will end this.” 

Eitri nods, “I believe you, boy. Now go. You don’t have much time.”

* * *

In the pod, Thor asks while Rocket sets a course for Earth, “When I was dying, I saw a woman. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Very young. Do you know anyone like that?” 

Rocket immediately shakes his head, “She sounds Terran. I don’t know any Terrans except for Quill. Why, did she tell you anything?”

“To take care of ‘him’, though she failed to clarify who ‘him’ is supposed to be,” Thor frowns. 

Rocket shrugs, “Figure it out later. We’ve got bigger problems than that right now.” Thor nods, agreeing, before he lifts the Stormbreaker.

“Eitri said this could summon the Bifrost? Would you like to try?” Thor offers. Rocket immediately jumps at the opportunity, knowing that this is a once in a lifetime thing.

* * *

They land on Earth in a rainbow-hued beam of light in the middle of a battlefield. Thor doesn’t recognise the place, and obviously Rocket and Groot don’t. Thor throws his Stormbreaker out of the light. Wreathed with lightning, it tears through the hideous creatures, lightening up the battle slightly for the heroes present. The Stormbreaker flies back to the light into Thor’s hand as the beam fades away, revealing Thor, Groot and Rocket. Groot doesn’t have his video game console anymore, and Rocket is armed with a hefty gun.

Natasha, Steve and T’Challa pause in astonishment, and Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian pause in apprehension at the arrival of Thor. Thor sees a few new faces — a large number of soldiers, a blonde man with a glowing fist, a man built like a tank, a lean lady with dark hair and a leather jacket, and one more man in a red suit adorning horns. Bruce laughs with joy, shouting, “You guys are so screwed now!” 

Thor yells, charging forward, “Bring me Thanos!” He decimates a large number of Outriders in a single blow. The three of them enter the fight, and Thor notices Rocket pairing up with a brunet man with a metal arm. He thinks he heard Rocket ask how much the arm costs.

Thor finds himself next to Steve in the middle of the battle and Steve asks, panting, “New haircut?” 

Thor grins, glad for the breather, “Notice you’ve copied my beard.”

Steve nods wearily, gesturing to his own face. Thor notices that the shield on his hand is black and grey and very not-circular. Beside them, Groot skewers three Outriders with his right arm. Thor makes a mental note to talk to Rocket about how violent that tree child is for his age.

Thor introduces, pointing to Groot with the Stormbreaker, “By the way, this is a friend of mine, Tree.” 

Groot snarls viciously, “I am Groot!”

Steve, not really getting that Groot’s vocabulary is limited to three words in a very exclusive configuration, simply answers, “I am Steve Rogers.”

* * *

When Thanos arrives, Thor can feel it. He can feel the power radiating from him. He’s keeping the Outriders at bay while the other Avengers team up against Thanos. Thanos definitely has the Power Stone and the Time Stone. So what has happened to the other Guardians and the sorcerer? The Iron Man is not present as well, so Thor assumes he’s with Strange.

Thor doesn’t know how they let it happen, how he himself let it happen, but Thanos manages to obtain the Mind Stone. He knows the Outriders is the least of their concerns now that he has all the Stones.

Thanos studies the completed gauntlet in pride, but a massive bolt of lightning strikes him, digging him into the ground and grinding him back a few metres. Thor’s eyes glow with power, stooping down from the sky. He pauses his attack, reverses his position, raises Stormbreaker above his head and hurls it. Thanos fires the whole might of the gauntlet against it, but it does nothing to slow down the Stormbreaker as it slams right into Thanos chest.

Thor lands in front of Thanos, who has fallen onto a knee. He says hatefully, “I told you. You diefor that.” He holds the back of Thanos’ head to steady his grip on Stormbreaker as he forces it deeper into Thanos’ chest. Thanos cries out in agony as Thor stares vengefully into his eyes.

“You should have... You...” Thanos says weakly, before he suddenly perks up. “You should have gone for the _head_!”

Before Thor can stop him, Thanos snaps his fingers, just like Gamora demonstrated.

The gauntlet is charred, and Thanos left arm looks damaged. Thor shouts, “What’d you do? What’d you do?!” Thanos doesn’t answer, using the Space Stone to teleport away, leaving Stormbreaker to fall to the ground.

Steve stumbles into the clearing, holding his side, “Where’d he go? Thor, where’d he go?” Thor searches for an answer, but he has none.

“Steve?”

The brunet Thor saw with Rocket earlier walks towards Steve, looking down at his hands. He glances up at Steve before he suddenly stumbles over, collapsing into ashes. Thor’s eyes widen as Steve stares in silence. He walks over and touches the ground where Bucky once stood. Thor tries to find something to say, anything at all, but Steve’s pained scream stops Thor.

The soldiers on the battlefield disintegrate as well, and M’Baku watches in horror. T’Challa reaches for Okoye, trying to help her, “Up, general. Up! This is no place to die.” As Okoye grabs his hand, he turns to ash, and Okoye falls back on the ground. She stands hastily, looking around in anguish and confusion. From the building, Shuri sees T’Challa fade away and she cries out, sliding down the glass.

Luke Cage turns to ash in Jessica Jones’ arms. The Iron Fist and Daredevil stand aside solemnly as Jessica cries.

Thor watches in horror from afar as Groot slowly corrodes into ashes. Groot says sadly, fear lacing his voice, “I am Groot...” Thor frowns when he realises Groot has just called Rocket his father.

“No... No, no, no. No! Groot, no,” Rocket stumbles over to Groot, voice growing fainter as Groot disintegrates.

Wanda mourns over Vision, and a peaceful look falls on her face as she, too, turns to ash.

The War Machine searches for the Falcon, who turns to ash among the grass.

Thor watches it all in trepidation and confusion, and he quickly lifts his sleeve to look at his wrist.

The ‘PQ’ on it fades into nothing.


	2. time doesn’t care about anyone or anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are appreciated.

“This is a nightmare,” Steve mumbles, watching projection after projection of missing heroes.

Natasha comments, looking down in silent grieving, “I’ve had nightmares better than this.” Steve frowns when he sees Peter Parker’s face turn up. He doesn’t know much about the teenager except that Tony was very close to him. If Tony were alive, Steve would hate to imagine the agony he must be in.

“Guys, it stopped blinking,” Rhodey says from the doorway.

Steve and Natasha turn to him, confused. They start to follow Rhodey to the next room while Steve says, “That’s impossible.”

Rhodey frowns, leading them to the unit containing the pager. It was hooked up to multiple glowing beacons surrounding it. The screen is now black, contrary to what the remaining heroes had remembered it to look like — red, blue and a gold band across it with a golden symbol in the centre. They had found it when they’d gone back to the city to look for survivors. The decimation took more lives than Thanos intended. When pilots, drivers and so on disappeared, their passengers went down with them. Steve didn’t like thinking about that.

“I thought we bypassed the battery,” Steve says.

“We did, it’s still plugged in, it just stopped,” Rhodey says, equally baffled.

Steve orders, “Reboot it and send the signal again.”

Bruce argues, “We don’t even know what this is.”

Natasha replies, “Fury did. Just do it, please. And tell me, the second you get a signal. I want to know what’s on the other end of that thing. As Natasha turns around, she suddenly sees a woman, donning the same colours on the pager. Her blonde hair tumbles over her shoulders and she looks worried.

Her eyes land on the pager, screen blank, and she asks, “Where’s Fury?”

* * *

“Is this thing on?”

Tony sighs and leans back against the wall as his helmet scans him. He’s exhausted and practically gasping for air at this point. He’s stripped off his tracksuit since first boarding the ship. Nebula is somewhere else in the Milano (Tony learns that it’s actually the Benetar, but Quill renamed it Milano, like their first ship) and not really bothering with Tony. Thor is probably in the bathroom. His black singlet clings to his skin from his sweat and his arc reactor shines through the thin fabric. His spare hand holds the cassette left by Stephen and Quill.

“Hey Stephen,” Tony starts. He hesitates for a moment. “And Peter. My incredible kid.”

Nebula watches from the doorway silently. Tony doesn’t know she’s there. Tony takes another gasp of air and she frowns.

“If you come back, if you find this recording... Don’t feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end,” Tony says. He glances out the window at the vast galaxy ahead of him and he jokes, though he doesn’t laugh, “Just for the record, being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds.” Nebula takes a seat, still unnoticed by Tony. Over the course of her life, she’d grown accustomed to moving so quietly that nobody is aware of her presence.

“Food and water ran out four days ago,” Tony says. “Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. And that’ll be it.”

Tony leans forward and presses a hand to his mouth in thought. Is there anything else he has left to say? He’s not sure if there’s anything he left out — well, other than the actual gravity of his plight. His hand falls from his face to tap the helmet, as if he’s pointing at Stephen and Peter in reality.

“When I drift off, I will dream of you. It’s always you.”

He shuts the helmet’s recording function off, and then turns it off entirely. The sound of it powering down echoes through the small cockpit of the Milano. He takes another light gasp of air and shuts his eyes, leaning back onto the wall. Nebula stands, walking over to Tony to rest a hand on his shoulder in silent comfort.

She normally wouldn’t do such a thing, but they’ve been alone in the Milano for quite a while now and she had developed some semblance of respect for him when he managed to make Thanos bleed all on his own. He fought Thanos and made it out alive and he’s only human — that is no easy feat. He deserves just a little bit of comfort, if not more.

“Oxygen runs out tomorrow morning,” Tony repeats to Nebula. She nods, aware of their situation. She’s stuck on this ship with Thor and Tony, whether she likes it or not. Thor took the escape pod when he went to Nidavellir and never brought it back, so they all have to stay on the ship together, nobody can take a different course. Basically, she has to suffer with the depleting oxygen as well. Thor will be fine since he’s Asgardian.

“I heard you,” she says. “I will last long enough to get somewhere else with my modifications, but you... I don’t want to alarm you with your odds.”

Tony laughs weakly, “I know my odds. They’re not good.”

Thor leaves the bathroom, fingers skimming the bare skin on his wrist. The ‘PQ’ on it faded away back in Wakanda, and it’s clearly not coming back anytime soon. He goes to the cockpit where Nebula and Tony are and overhears their conversation about the oxygen.

Thor begins, “Stark, maybe you don’t have an accurate view of your odds —“

Tony interrupts, “I’m going to die.”

Quiet tension settles between them and Nebula leaves Tony alone, leaving the cockpit and beckoning Thor to follow. Thor gives Tony one last look to make sure he’ll be fine without them before he leaves as well.

Nebula says, “I don’t know the Iron Man well. How do you suggest we save him? I’m not letting him die here, not after his valiant fight with Thanos. He deserves more noble ways of death.”

Thor sighs, replying, “I agree, but even I am not sure. We need to get back to Earth. I’ve offered to bring him back with the Bifrost but he turned me down. If I didn’t know better, I would say —“

“He wants to die,” Nebula realises. She sends a look back to the cockpit before saying, “That can’t happen. We need him to fight Thanos. We cannot take him down alone.” Thor agrees.

He asks, “What do you suggest?”

Nebula answers, “It’s risky. Tomorrow morning, when the lack of oxygen knocks him out, you will use the axe to take him back.”

Thor hesitates, “I’d rather we knocked him out. What if we are not careful and he passes away instead of passing out?” Nebula rethinks her plan.

“I’ll knock him out when he retires to bed tonight,” she offers.

“Hey, can you not talk about knocking me out like I’m not here?” Tony calls out breathlessly. Thor glances to him in concern.

“I worry Stark might not even make it through the night. The oxygen is depleting too quickly with three of us around,” Thor mumbles to Nebula, who nods wordlessly. Tony stares between them before he sighs.

“I know how it looks. Truth is, there isn’t much for me left,” Tony mutters to them. “We lost to Thanos. Nobody on Earth wants me around, the Avengers hate me, who knows if Rhodey or Pepper are still alive... Peter’s gone, Steph is... Steph is gone.” Tony closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

Thor says, “Stark, who says nobody on Earth wants you around? Rogers is anticipating your return home. A dark-haired woman, her name is Jessica, as I recall. She asked me to get you back to Earth safe.”

When Tony doesn’t say anything, Nebula speaks up, “You have to go home, Stark. Space is no place for an Earther. You are not dying here.”

Tony is quiet as he thinks about what to do next, and Thor and Nebula decide to leave him for a while to decide. Thor follows Nebula to the other room, where he first met Peter Quill, and he asks her, “Were you familiar with Quill?”

“He dated my sister once,” Nebula said. “But that was years ago. I know him as the Earther with an irritating passion for music and hideous red outerwear. Why?”

“Do you know why he’s in space?” Thor asks.

Nebula answers, taking a seat, “I remember Gamora saying he was abducted by Ravagers as a child. He never went back to Earth since. I’m not aware of the reason. You would have to ask him.” She pauses for a moment before adding, “But he’s not here.”

“I know,” Thor says. “I wish I talked with him more before it happened. He seemed nice.”

“That’s subjective,” Nebula scoffs. “But if I’m being honest... I suppose I’d like to be around them for just a little longer. None of them live now.”

Thor remembers the lonely raccoon back on Earth and says, “The sweet rabbit is alive. He’s with the Avengers at the Compound.” Nebula perks up at that. Sure, maybe she doesn’t really like Rocket, but he’s still a face she knows. It also tells her that Groot is dead, since she doesn’t recall seeing the young tree on Titan and Thor failed to mention him.

Thor goes back to the cockpit and asks Tony, “Well?”

“I think... I think I’ll go home,” Tony says, barely above a whisper with how exhausted he is. “I’m so tired.”

Thor nods, leaving to retrieve the Stormbreaker. It’s time to go home.

* * *

“Guys, there’s a ship entering the atmosphere,” Bruce notes, looking up from a screen.

Natasha looks toward Carol and asks, “You expecting company?”

Carol looks out of the window, squinting to get a better look at the model of the ship. She mumbles, “I don’t recognise what kind of ship that is. Not Kree or Skrulls, that’s for sure.”

Steve suggests, beginning to make a move, “Maybe it’s Thor. He left to find Tony.” The others follow Steve out into the field. Carol follows as well, though she lingers a little to stare at the pager. She’d barely had time to get an answer on where exactly Fury was before the ship had arrived. She leaves it, making a mental note to come back for it and ask about Fury again.

A ship lands safely, but it doesn’t look too good. Carol’s hands glow slightly, getting ready for any enemies that emerge from the ship. Rhodey’s eyes widen at it, but he quickly returns his attention to the ship.

When the doors open, a woman with practically half her body made of metal walks out. Everyone assumes a battle stance until the alien sighs, saying, “I have your friends.”

Thor walks out, supporting a very weak Tony. Tucked under his arm is a highly damaged helmet. Steve calls out, a little surprised by the fact that Tony is alive after all, “Tony. You’re alive.”

Tony looks up, simply returning the greeting, “Hi to you too, Rogers.”

* * *

Tony tries his best to not revert back to the bottle. Time is difficult to pass by when the two people you love most in this world are dead. Since the decimation, Tony returned to Earth with Thor and Nebula.

He decided to move to the Compound, his home too spacious and quiet for him to handle. Too full of little pieces of Stephen and Peter — a shirt Stephen forgot to reclaim after spending the night. A textbook Peter left on his coffee table. A note Stephen left for Tony the day before Ebony Maw’s attack on New York. In his shaky handwriting, Stephen told Tony he was going to the Sanctum and would come back at 2. In his shaky handwriting, Stephen told Tony he loved him.

Tony left everything untouched, took a few things, and moved. He couldn’t handle it. He wasn’t strong enough.

The Avengers reassembled, and lived together at the Avengers Compound. There was no news about Clint Barton, and everyone assumed he was dead. T’Challa apparently died as well, and Shuri was missing. Wakanda doesn’t really welcome visitors, especially while it’s still rebuilding itself — a task proven difficult without their top scientist around — so Tony doesn’t check in.

With Nick Fury and Maria Hill gone, Tony took charge of S.H.I.E.L.D as its director. He worked on new Iron Man suits in his spare time so the absences of his boyfriend and son don’t get to him. He’s got a new one in the works that he isn’t sure if Stephen will like. He works on it anyway. He’ll deal with it when the time comes. If the time comes. Tony has to remind himself that Stephen and Peter are gone every now and then.

Even Jessica took up a spare room at the Compound, because her apartment was too quiet without Luke around. Danny Rand went back to his home, but kept in contact with the reassembled Avengers. Matthew Murdock, Hell’s Kitchen’s very own Daredevil, also got a room there, though he kept to himself most days. He only ever speaks to Jessica.

Tony asked Matthew why he didn’t want to go back to Hell’s Kitchen. Matthew says there’s nothing for him there, not anymore. Tony doesn’t ask again.

Steve, Natasha, Thor and Bruce stick around. Most of the time, they don’t leave the Compound. Tony doesn’t blame them, nobody wants to go out there anymore. Tony does most of the errand runs since he leaves the Compound the most. Sometimes, Steve goes instead, but he comes back sadder than when he left. Natasha and Bruce have since reconciled, but there’s still a weird tension between them that neither know how to dispel. Carol is coming to terms with how different Earth looks from when she last visited, and trying to wrap her head around the mind-boggling fact that her friend, Nick Fury, is dead. Everyone gives her her space.

And Thor... Thor is a different ballpark altogether. Tony doesn’t know how to help him. Out of all of them, Thor lost the most — his brother, his people, his home, his friends. Tony knows he’s still grieving. What Tony doesn’t understand is why Thor keeps staring at his wrist like he’s expecting something to show up on the bare skin.

“Thor. Hey, buddy,” Tony greets, taking the empty space next to Thor on the couch. They’re in the lounge — seven or eight years ago, they were all here for the meeting that broke them up.

Thor nods, “Tony.” Five years of living in the Compound with Tony have led to Thor moving on to a first name basis with him.

“Is there anything I can help you with? Anything at all?” Tony asks. He can’t take seeing Thor rattling around the Compound like he’s got nowhere to go. It’s upsetting — Thor is a very kind soul, one of the most great-hearted people he knows, but he’s suffering the most. His pain goes beyond what Tony used alcohol to numb.

“Nothing. Thank you for asking anyway,” Thor mutters. His thumb absently runs over his wrist again. “I just miss everyone.” Okay, Tony. Play it cool or you’ll lose the conversation.

“Hey, been meaning to ask. Did you hurt your wrist?” Tony starts off.

Thor frowns in confusion, “No. Why?”

Tony gestures vaguely to Thor’s hand, saying, “It’s just that I notice you’ve been touching your wrist a lot. Is it in pain?”

“No,” Thor says. He hesitates for a moment, before he mumbles, “Just waiting.”

“Waiting. For what?” Tony asks.

Thor pauses and Tony waits patiently. This is more than he’s managed to get out of Thor for the past five years. Finally, Thor says, “For the mark to come back.”

Tony waits for an elaboration, but when he gets none, he urges, “What do you mean by mark?”

“The ‘PQ’ on it,” Thor says quietly. Tony furrows his eyebrows, not getting it.

“Sorry, ‘PQ’ as in what?” Tony questions, hoping the question doesn’t shut Thor off from the conversation. Thor sighs, like he’s contemplating whether he should confide in Tony or not.

Thor answers, “‘PQ’ as in Peter Quill.”

Tony stares at Thor, processing the information. What the hell does that even mean, ‘PQ’ as in Peter Quill? What is Tony supposed to say?

“I don’t know a lot about Asgardians, so you gotta help me out here so I can try to help you,” Tony says. “Why is Quill’s initials on your wrist?”

“Asgardian royalty has their soulmate’s initials on their wrists... Mine is PQ. I’m not sure about Loki’s, but my parents’ were each other,” Thor explains. “When I failed to kill Thanos and he snapped his fingers, the ‘PQ’ faded away. I’ve been waiting for it to return.”

Tony nods slowly before he says, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you and Quill were close.”

“We weren’t. We met once and went our different ways. He and the others went to Knowhere. Me, the rabbit and Tree went to Nidavellir to get Stormbreaker. I never saw him again,” Thor replies. “It’s my regret to not have spoken to him more. When I met him, there was just something about him.”

Tony nods again, “I get that. Love at first sight?”

Thor shakes his head, “No... It wasn’t love, and certainly not at first sight. My first look at him was him aiming his gun at my head.”

Tony snorts, “Sounds like him. Cocky guy.”

“He’s not cocky at all. I think he was compensating for something else,” Thor corrects, tone thoughtful and far away. “I saw his friends tear him down. I saw him try to be bigger than himself. I saw how he tries to prove he’s the captain.” Tony listens attentively, genuinely interested in what Thor saw in the prideful outlaw. “I saw him pretend to be someone he’s not.”

“And?” Tony asks.

“I think that’s very sad,” Thor says.

* * *

Steve and Natasha go through the security footage, hoping there’s something that tells them anything that can reverse the effects of the snap. They’ve gone through it numerous times the past five years, but checking the footage gives them hope and keeps them going, so they keep doing it.

“Was that log there before?” Natasha asks, squinting at the screen to see if her eyes deceive her. Steve follows her gaze to a record titled ‘STRAT_1583 : ARCHIVE’.

He frowns, shaking his head, “No. I don’t remember that being there...” He selects the ‘play’ option and the footage starts up.

There’s just a part of the Compound that doesn’t look that familiar to them for a while, so Steve speeds up the footage. He stops it when he sees a man walking up and plays it at normal speed. The man stops in front of the door. Steve can’t believe his eyes.

“Is this an old recording?” he asks, checking for the date of the footage. He can’t find it, but it’s an archive, so it has to be old.

Natasha realises, “That’s the front door.”

Scott Lang looks up towards the security camera, saying, “Hi, is anyone home? This is Scott Lang. We met a few years ago at the airport in Germany. I got really big. Ant-Man. I know you know that. That’s me. Can you buzz me in?”

“He’s not at the front door now...” Natasha mutters. “He hasn’t been around here the past five years. This is really old footage. The door looks different.”

Steve rewinds the footage and stands up, turning to leave the room, “We need to tell Tony about this. He might know something.”

* * *

Tony sits in his workshop, tinkering around with his new armour. This one is going to be different from his others. He made many others before it, but this one might make a lot of people mad. Tony doesn’t really care. He doesn’t care that much about other people’s opinions of him ever since he lost his family.

“Hey, smartass,” Jessica greets, venturing into the lab. Matthew Murdock follows close behind. Even now, Tony is still a little bewildered about Matt’s ability to maneuverer around objects. He’s impressed that the blind man can move the way Daredevil does. Matthew spends his nights putting the fear of god into muggers. Tony sees some of Daredevil’s casualties on the news and frankly, Tony thought a Catholic like Matt would have more mercy than what he shows.

“I know you’re staring at me,” Matt mutters under his breath. Tony looks away instantly. He knows better than to irritate the devil.

“Hi, Jess,” Tony returns. Jessica sits down on one of his emptier worktables, looking around. Matt sits down but says nothing. “Can I help you?”

Jessica shrugs, “Can’t I drop by to say hi? I don’t really see you upstairs anymore.”

Tony knows it’s more than that. Unlike Matthew, Jessica doesn’t grieve by inflicting pain. She’s been drinking herself half-blind ever since she lost Luke. Matthew joked once about if she’s trying to compete with him in the blind department by drinking. The only times she doesn’t drink is when Tony’s around, and he’s sure it’s out of consideration, since she knows he used to struggle with alcohol.

The point is, Jessica is clearly in pain. She doesn’t like being alone nowadays. She doesn’t fight with others by her side. Matthew keeps her company, but Tony’s sure Jessica soughs Tony out sometimes because she misses when life was simpler. Tony once saw Jessica watching a blue butterfly.

His heart aches as he watches it fly away. Blue is still the warmest colour. The blue of Stephen’s eyes has no words to describe its beauty. Tony misses Stephen and Peter, and he knows Jessica misses them too, even if she doesn’t admit it.

“Of course you can. And sorry about that. I’ve been working on new armour,” Tony explains. Matthew cocks his head in his direction and frowns, but again, doesn’t say anything.

Before Jessica can reply, Steve and Natasha enter the workshop. Tony raises an eyebrow in question and Steve says, “You need to see this.”

The three of them follow Steve and Natasha back to the room they were in earlier and Steve plays the footage for them. Jessica recognises Scott and Tony is surprised to see him and the surroundings.

Matthew says sarcastically, “If anyone would like to tell me what’s on that screen...”

“Sorry, we forget,” Natasha apologises. “Scott Lang, Ant-Man, at the front door. It’s an archive footage file that wasn’t there before. Entrance looks different than how it does now.”

“This is from when this place was Stark Industries storage, a long time ago... He went back in time,” Tony says, realisation dawning upon him. “We gotta find Lang, but how? How did he time travel...” He claps his hands together, looking up. “Of course.”

Jessica stares at him expectantly, “Wanna elaborate?”

Tony explains, “Quantum Realm. Becoming so small that you enter the Quantum Realm. Time and space don’t matter there. He could’ve gone there and get spat out in the past.”

“Can you make a suit that can bring you there?” Steve asks urgently.

Tony sighs, “I’ll need time. Who knows where Lang will be by the time I’m done. I can become an expert of quantum science overnight, but building a suit that takes us to the Quantum Realm is a different conversation. I’ve never built a suit like Lang’s before.” Steve shakes his head, trying to think of another plan.

“So basically, we’re back at square one,” Jessica says flatly.

* * *

Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel. She was a friend of Nick Fury’s back in the day. She’s half-human, half-Kree, making her very powerful. Thor remembers Rocket mentioning about four years back that Peter Quill was half-human, half-Celestial. He pushes the thought away, Carol’s biology another reminder of what he missed.

“When did he call you?” Tony asks.

Carol shrugs, accepting the glass of water from Natasha, “I came back as soon as I got his call. He doesn’t contact me unless he has to.”

“Why? If you’re so powerful, why wouldn’t he want to keep you close by?” Bruce questions, raising an eyebrow. Carol’s gaze falls to the floor.

“I had other commitments,” she says. “I gave him the pager so he could contact me in case of emergencies. I promised I would come back whenever he needs me to.”

“What can you do?” Steve asks.

Carol raises an arm and fires at a small radio, destroying it with an energy blast. The other heroes flinch in surprise as Carol smiles, saying, “That was a photon blast. I can also fly and time travel.”

“Shit. Lang,” Tony smacks his face. “How could I forget? Danvers. We have someone stuck in time. We need to get him.”

Steve starts up the footage and plays it for Carol, who watches it in silence. When the playback ends, she asks, “How did he end up there?”

Tony answers, “Quantum Realm. You know what that is?” Carol shakes her head. “You can enter it if you get small enough. I’m guessing he got spat out in the past when he entered it. We need to get him back.”

“My powers don’t really include shrinking,” Carol mutters hesitantly.

“We don’t need you to go small. We just need you to go back,” Jessica says. Carol presses her lips together in thought.

“I can get your friend. How far back are we talking?” Carol finally replies.


	3. we have battles in the dark when he falls asleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter again, but shorter chapters = more chapters.

Scott floats around the Quantum Realm, alone. He hears a voice echo through.

“ _Enter_ _a_ _time_ _vortex_. _Get_ _out_.  _Find_ _Tony_ _Stark_.”

“Who are you?” Scott calls out. His echo answers him. Without any other response, Scott decides that obeying and finding a time vortex is better than doing nothing, since it seems like nobody is going to bring him out.

He manages to locate one, and with a deep breath, he dives in.

* * *

Scott Lang is very confused. He managed to get the hell out of the Quantum Realm, but it was a whole mess and a time vortex almost consumed him. He’s out, though, and that’s what counts. When he came out, he was surprised to realise the Pyms weren’t around. Their equipment wasn’t there either.

“Hope? Hank? Janet? Where are you?” Scott calls. “This isn’t funny.”

The lack of response brings Scott to look around. They’re not anywhere in the area and neither is the van. Maybe they thought they lost him to the Quantum Realm and left. He reaches for his phone, but when his fingers touch the familiar texture of his Ant-Man suit, he remembers that he didn’t have his phone on him when he went in. No big deal, he’ll just go home, get his phone and call Hope. Any chance to see Cassie is one he’ll take anyway.

He doesn’t have the van and he has no cash on him, so he has to walk home. At the sight of the repainted house, Scott frowns.

“How long has it been...” he mutters to himself. He walks up to the front porch, knocking on the door. It will all be okay. Cassie will answer the door and when she hugs you, everything will be okay.

Except when the door opens, it’s a man he doesn’t recognise. The man gives him a warm smile, asking, “Afternoon, man. Who are you?”

“Scott. I lived here...” Scott mumbles in confusion.

The man raises an eyebrow, though his smile doesn’t waver, “Sorry, pal. Wrong address, maybe. Nobody lived here before me. Do you need help finding your way back?”

“I think I’m too far,” Scott says breathlessly. “Thanks, but I don’t think you can help me. Sorry to bother you.”

Scott turns to leave, but the man stops him, “Wait. At least change out of that suit of yours. You look like you’re trying to be Captain America.” Scott’s eyes widen as a thought strikes him, and the man laughs, “Just kidding, man. Here, I’ll lend you some clothes.” The man invites Scott in to change out of his Ant-Man suit, and when Scott’s finally dressed like a civilian, the man sees Scott off with a friendly wave and a ‘good luck’.

Scott holds his suit in his arms like it’s a Halloween costume he pulled out of the closet. When he reaches the sidewalk, Scott practically lights up at his new idea, given by the kind stranger. “The Avengers!”

Scott gets himself to the Avengers compound. It looks vastly different from how he remembered it. Instead of the iconic ‘A’ on the side of the building, it’s the logo of Stark Industries. He spots a security camera next to the door and calls out, “Hi, is anyone home? This is Scott Lang.” He pauses — maybe they don’t know my name. He clarifies, “We met a few years ago at the airport in Germany.” Then again, they met a lot of people that day.

“I got really big. Ant-Man. I know you know that,” Scott tries. The camera’s red light blinks, so there’s someone watching this footage, or who eventually will. “That’s me. Can you buzz me in?”

He stands expectantly outside for a while, waiting for the door to open. Waiting for Captain America or Iron Man or whoever to welcome him in. But there’s no response. He sighs, shoulders falling. He thought he was getting somewhere. He walks back out of the Stark Industries property’s vicinity. He stops just outside. He doesn’t have anywhere else to go, nobody to confide in about his weird experience.

“Hello?”

He looks up, almost jumping back at the person at his left. A blond woman in a blue-red-gold suit stands next to him. He’s more happy than he should be to see a costumed person. He really hopes this lady is a hero and not a villain. He asks, “Who are you?”

“My name’s Carol,” she answers. “Your friends sent me to get you.”

“My friends?” Scott squints in confusion. “Nobody I know is around. Luis? If Luis knew someone like you and didn’t tell me...”

“I don’t know who Luis is,” Carol assures. “Tony Stark and Steve Rogers asked me to bring you back.”

Scott visibly gets excited, glancing around for a taxi, “Really? Where are they? Do you have money? We can take a taxi.” Carol smiles at him, amused.

“They’re in 2019. You can’t really drive there,” Carol chuckles. “I can take us there. Come on.”

* * *

“Oh my God, Captain America! Iron Man! Thank you for getting me back here,” Scott immediately says when he and Carol land outside the Avengers Compound. Steve grins, accepting the hug Scott gives him impulsively. Scott looks around, frowning, “Where are the others?”

“Oh boy. Insect dude, a word?” a dark-haired woman beckons while a man with red sunglasses and a cane walks with her to a corner. Scott follows her, confused, while the others’ polite smiles fall.

“Who are you guys? Where are the rest? What happened?” Scott fires off. The woman sighs in annoyance.

The blind man answers, “To answer your questions, Mr Lang, I’m Matthew Murdock. This is Jessica Jones. Thanos wiped out half the population. As you can see, a number of heroes perished.”

Scott doesn’t want to hear the answer, but his mouth asks the question anyway, “Do you know all the people who disappeared?”

Jessica chimes in this time, “I don’t know all their names. Stephen Strange, Peter Parker, the king of Wakanda, that falcon guy, the red witch, the flag waver’s boyfriend, some space people Tony met.” She adds after a pause, “Luke. Trish. I don’t know where Malcolm went.”

Matt rests a comforting hand on her back and continues listing, “Princess Shuri of Wakanda is currently missing. Loki, Thor’s brother, is dead. Half of his people is dead and the other half’s location is unknown, so maybe don’t bring it up with him. As far as Stark’s systems recognise, Hope Van Dyne, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne are missing as well.”

“They haven’t shown up, so Tony thinks they’re dead too. Sorry,” Jessica says. “No word on your family, but Tony went looking after coming back. He didn’t find anyone or anything else at your place except some big ant.”

“Just don’t remind anyone about it,” Matt suggests before he walks away, not even using his cane. Scott stares after him, trying to focus on how a blind man can walk without his cane the way he does instead of focussing on his missing family and friends.

Jessica notices and tries to help, “He’s got superhuman senses or something. Doesn’t make sense to me either.” Scott nods wordlessly. She sighs, thinking of something to say that isn’t useless.

“Hey, if you need to talk... you know,” she says, albeit sounding a little forced. Scott gives her a grateful smile.

As Jessica walks off, Tony, Carol and Steve take her place. Tony starts, “I’m sorry about your friends and family, but this is important if we want to get them back. Do you know how your suit works?”

“I mean, I know how to use it,” Scott offers.

Steve corrects him, “He means the science behind it. How it does the things it does.”

“Sorry, can’t help you there,” Scott says apologetically. “I’m a security engineer. I don’t know anything about how to make a suit like this.”

Tony shakes his head, muttering, “Another dead end.”

Scott suddenly says, “But we all know someone who does!”

Steve stares at him, “Yeah, Hank Pym and Hope and Janet Van Dyne, but they...”

“Yeah, I know. But they’ll have _blueprints_ ,” Scott points out. The three of them straighten up, realising what Scott’s implying.

“The blueprints will probably be at his workplace, but do we have authority to enter?” Carol asks. Steve shakes his head.

Tony says slowly, “We can’t get in, we don’t have authority. _I_ can’t, we all know Pym hates me. _But_...” He glances at Scott. “We have a master thief here, don’t we?”

“Are you suggesting we _steal_ them from him?” Steve asks.

Tony rolls his eyes, “The guy’s not around to get pissed about missing blueprints. He’ll probably _thank_ us for stealing them.” He turns to Scott, giving him a pointed look, “So? Are we getting the blueprints or not?”

“Can’t you just reverse engineer his suit?” Carol asks.

“I could, but it’ll take time. I’m not familiar with the field Pym deals in. I could get this going a lot quicker if I had Pym’s work to help,” Tony answers.

* * *

Scott shrinks down to sneak past Hank’s security measures. Tony watches Scott’s movement through the live feed Scott is transmitting from his helmet. 

“In and out, Lang,” Tony reminds. Scott nods without another word said.

He gets into the workshop, growing back to normal size. He starts to get the blueprints for the Ant-Man and Wasp suits, until a voice interrupts him.

“ _Scott_ _Lang_. I _need_ _to_ _talk_ _to_ _you_.”

“Who the heck are you...” Scott mutters.

Tony answers, confused, “... I’m Tony Stark? Are you okay?”

“No, I’m good. I... need to go small for a bit.”

“Lang, what are you —“

Scott drops the blueprints, shrinking down so small that he enters the Quantum Realm. Tony asks again, “Lang, what are you doing?”

“ _Tony_.”

Tony almost falls off his chair at the sound of that voice. Scott frowns, looking around, “You know who that voice is, Stark?”

“Steph? That you?” Tony barely whispers. Jessica’s eyes widen and she walks over, giving Tony a look that begged answers. Tony holds up a finger to ask her to wait.

“ _Tony_... _It’s_ _good_ _to_ _hear_ _your_ _voice_.”

Scott asks again, “Stark? Who is that? Who’s Steph? He told me to find you.”

“The love of my life...” Tony answers, voice weak. “Stephen Strange. Steph, you’re alive. Holy shit. You’re alive.” Jessica sighs in relief, pressing a hand against her mouth as she processes the fact that Stephen, Peter and Luke are alive.

Thor perks up when he realises this means Peter Quill is alive. He glances down at his wrist — the ‘PQ’ is still absent, unfortunately.

Tony hears a nervous laugh come through Scott’s live audio feed. Stephen answers, “ _Yeah_ , _I_ _am_. _I_ _missed_ _you_.”

“I missed you too. Where are you?” Tony asks.

“ _Soul Stone. I’m astral projecting. The Ancient One showed me the Quantum Realm once. Thanos could affect my astral projection with the Soul Stone back on Titan so I thought the stone could help me astral project into the Quantum Realm. I took advantage of that and_ _tried to get here to contact Lang._ ”

Tony nods, asking, “What do you need me to do, honey?”

“ _Make_ _the_ _suits_. _Go_ _back_ _to_ _the_ _New_ _York_ _battle_. _You’re_ _going_ _to_ _need_ _more_ _help_ _than_ _you_ _have_. _Loki_ _is_ _a_ _good_ _place_ _to_ _start_. _He_ _can_ _help_ _where_ _Maximoff_ _and_ _I_ _aren’t_ _available to. He knows where Thanos will be._ ”

Thor immediately says, “I will go.”

Tony gestures to him to relax and he continues to Stephen, “What else?”

“ _Loki_   _will know where the Space Stone is. With_ _the Space Stone, you can find_   _the_ _Soul_ _Stone_ _is_. _It’s_ _worth_ _the_ _shot_. _Get_ _the_ _Soul_ _Stone_ _and_ _make_ _a_ _gauntlet_.”

“Gauntlet... Like Thanos’ gauntlet?” Tony checks.

“Yes, _Tony_.  _Someone has to_   _wield it. If anyone can make a gauntlet so someone who isn’t a Titan can wield it, it’s you. I believe in you. I’ll be able to help you more when you obtain the_   _Soul_ _Stone_ _and release_ _us. Locate the missing_   _people. I don’t_   _see_   _Barton_ _or Princess_   _Shuri_ _here_.”

Tony nods again, before he laughs in relief, “I love you so much.”

Tony can hear the grin in Stephen’s voice as the sorcerer replies, “ _I’ll_ _leave_ _you_ _to_ _get_ _your_ _blueprints_. _I_ _love_ _you_ , _Tony_. _I’m_ _coming_ _home_.”

Scott magnifies back to normal size again, and he mumbles, “Holy shit, wow... How did he do that?”

“Astral projection. He’s in the Soul Stone, he used it to empower his own soul so it can go into the Quantum Realm... Maybe like a bridge between the Soul Stone and the astral plane,” Tony replies, quick-fire. “Take the blueprints and get moving. We’ve got work to do.”

* * *

Leaving Tony, Rocket and Bruce to work on the Quantum suits, the others have to wait. Natasha and Steve left to follow a lead on a vigilante in Japan, whose looks have been described to fit Clint’s description. Thor just stays in the compound.

It’s a day after Tony started work that a ship lands outside the compound. For a moment, he gets his hopes up about it miraculously being the Guardians. When the pilot steps out, it’s not Peter, but it is someone else just as good.

“Brunnhilde!” Thor calls out, a smile growing on his face. She looks around, squinting in the sun, before she spots Thor. She returns the grin, walking over.

“Apologies for taking so long,” she says. “We had to find another ship that accommodated everyone and get the people back to good health to continue our journey. Earth is difficult to find when nobody on the ship knows where it is.”

Thor nods understandingly, “That’s fine. It’s really good to see you. Banner is somewhere around the compound.”

“Hey, Thor, Tony sent me up. What’s that ship —“ Bruce asks, stepping outside. He pauses when he sees Brunnhilde and he looks on in recognition. “You’re that Valkyrie, from Sakaar.”

“I still like the big guy more,” Brunnhilde rolls her eyes.

Thor laughs, looking to the ship, “So everyone is okay and accounted for?”

Brunnhilde answers, “All but the ones Thanos got to. Is there any space in that complex of yours for half of Asgard?”

“I’ll have to ask Stark, though I think the Asgardians have to stay in the ship for at least another night. Can they?” Thor asks. Brunnhilde nods, and goes back to the ship to tell them.

When Brunnhilde returns, she spares a look at Thor’s wrist, but she doesn’t say anything. Bruce tells them he has to go back to the workshop to help Tony, and Thor and Brunnhilde let him go without another word. When Bruce is gone, Brunnhilde says, “I’m afraid to ask what has become of Loki.”

“Thanos got him,” Thor says sadly. “Snapped his neck.”

“I’m sorry. My condolences,” Brunnhilde says genuinely. At the sight of the saddened Thor, Brunnhilde changes the subject and asks, “I know you Asgardian royalty have a soulmark. What happened to yours?”

“Thanos,” Thor answers numbly.

“Apologies,” she replies. “Did you get to meet them, at least?”

Thor replies, “I met him after Thanos killed my brother. His team was answering our distress call. The rabbit and the tree followed me to Nidavellir and the others went after Thanos. They went to Titan after the lady Gamora was taken and met Stark and his family.”

“How was he?” Brunnhilde asks.

“I wish I had a complete answer for you,” Thor says. “But alas, he remains a mystery I have yet to solve.”

* * *

“You’re from Earth, right?” Jessica asks, taking a seat next to Carol in the kitchen.

Carol nods, “From Earth, but went to space at some point. Back here, I was a pilot with the USAF.” Jessica hums in approval.

“Anything different?”

“Well, there weren’t as many superheroes back then,” Carol laughs. “I come back and there’s a blind lawyer who can fight crime, Captain America is still alive and young, there’s a talking raccoon, a god who isn’t the big man upstairs... Wow.”

Jessica rolls her eyes, “A little too many superheroes running around, if you ask me.” Carol simply laughs again.

“How does he do that?” Carol asks.

“I don’t know the details. Think radioactive waste made him blind, but it made his other senses stronger. Learnt to fight. Became a guy who runs around at night in red tights beating up muggers, going after kingpins,” Jessica shrugs. Carol listens intently as Jessica adds, “Lost everyone he loved five years ago because of Thanos. Stayed here ever since.”

“I’m sorry about everything. About all of you,” Carol says gently.

Jessica sighs, “Yeah, we’re all sorry.”

* * *

Tony is practically bouncing off the walls in the workshop and it’s driving Rocket mad.

“Hey, metal head! Mind slowing it down there?” he shouts.

Tony laughs in response, “Sorry, Rock. My boyfriend is alive, my son is alive! I can’t help being happy.”

Bruce smiles up at Tony while he looks away from the blueprints for a moment, “I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time, Tony. I’m glad you’re finally smiling.”

Rocket shrugs, going back to working on digging up usable parts from Tony’s stash, “Yeah, I guess... I’m glad my team is alright. Can we just shut up and make the suits so we can get them back sooner?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Checking back on the Doctor Strange scene where the Ancient One “opens Stephen’s eye”, there’s a part Stephen floats around in that she describes as “benevolent and life-giving” and looks like the Quantum Realm that we see Scott in at the end of AMATW. We also see Janet gain “life-giving” abilities when she is able to heal Ava after coming out of the Quantum Realm. Decided that Stephen can, in fact, travel to the Quantum Realm if he wanted to, probably via astral projection. Thanos also used the Power and Soul Stone to affect Stephen when he multiplied. Decided that the Soul Stone can defect or improve astral projecting.  
> Captain Marvel missing the mark by five years, I honestly don’t know how to explain, so I settled for she went too fast and accidentally arrived too far ahead.


	4. it’s not a side effect of the apocalypse, i’m thinking i must be in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos appreciated!

Steve and Natasha made their return to the Avengers Compound with Clint Barton in tow.

In the wake of Thanos’ snap, Clint lost his entire family and retreated to Japan. Overcome with grief and numb with rage, he adopted the new mantle of Ronin. He abandoned the bravado of Hawkeye and ceased using his bow and arrows. Life isn’t the luxury of an arrow gliding through the air. Life is the cold metal of a sharp knife and it will cut you down until you can’t be put back together.

Clint has been in pieces since Thanos happened. Criminal blood replaces the glue that couldn’t put him back together.

Tony is at the doorway when Natasha and Steve come back. Clint’s eyes meet Tony’s, and he can hear Stephen berating him a few years ago, back at the Raft. When Clint basically said Rhodey’s paralysation was Tony’s fault. He can still hear Stephen telling him to grow up and that he messed up his own life. Perhaps he did.

“I’m sorry, Tony,” Clint mutters. “What I said about Rhodes.”

“It’s in the past,” Tony replies. He steps aside to let the three of them come in. Clint holds back on asking where Stephen is. He thinks he already knows.

“I’m sorry about your family,” Tony says.

Clint’s wife was preparing dinner early, and Clint was with his kids, watching a movie. They’d turned to dust in his hands. His wife covered the kitchen floor.

“Yeah, me too,” Clint replies. Tony doesn’t answer then, and leaves to his workshop. He asks Natasha, “What’s Tony making now?”

“Some suits that can take us to the Quantum Realm. Strange contacted Tony through Lang,” she answers. “Told him to make the suits and go to the past. Get Loki.”

“Loki?” Clint practically splutters. “That son of a bitch? No way. Why?”

“Be careful how you speak of him. He is my brother,” Thor suddenly says, now behind them. He’d come over upon hearing the commotion and was about to welcome his fellow Avenger home. “He died a hero.”

Clint nods apologetically, “Okay. Sorry, Thor.” He waits for Thor to leave before he asks Steve, “Who else?”

“Most of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Sam, Wanda, Tony’s intern Peter, Strange, Hank Pym, Janet and Hope Van Dyne, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, King T’Challa, half of the surviving Asgardians... Bucky,” Steve says, the last name quiet. “Loki was killed by Thanos in front of Thor. I get that you don’t like Loki, but for Thor’s sake, just don’t say anything.” Clint can oblige, keeping quiet is easy enough.

“We have some new people staying here. The blondie is Carol Danvers. She’s strong, so watch yourself. The blind man is Matthew Murdock, the lady with the leather jacket is Jessica Jones. The raccoon is Rocket and the alien with the metal arm is Nebula, they’re with the Guardians,” Natasha lists off as she leads Clint to his room.

She leaves him alone once he’s in the room, and he just sits on the bed, wishing everything could go back to the way it was before.

* * *

“Any leads?”

Matt shakes his head as he walks through Wakanda, still rebuilding. They would have been done by now if Shuri was around to help. Without their lead scientist, rebuilding their technology proves a little more difficult.

“How can he do that?” Rhodey whispers to Jessica.

Matt grunts, “I can hear you, you know.”

“Sorry, man,” Rhodey apologises hastily. “I thought you were blind. If you’re just acting blind, that’s just really problematic to me...”

“He’s not acting,” Jessica rolls her eyes. “He can’t see. He’s got enhanced senses, lets him fight like a motherfucker.”

Rhodey frowns, “But you can’t see.”

Matt mumbles in response, “Yeah, well, sight is overrated.” Rhodey is about to answer when Matt holds up a hand, “Wait. I hear something. It’s coming from the forest area.”

Jessica, Matt and Rhodey move towards the sound quietly, and Jessica shouts in surprise when someone pounces at her. Jessica smacks at her attacker and they crash onto the ground before jumping back up. Rhodey stands back, no armour on him to be of any use to the fight. Jessica steps in front of him and Matt takes the attacker.

“Holy shit. He really _can_ fight like a motherfucker,” Rhodey says, in awe.

Matt easily bests the attacker in combat, slamming her against a tree. She groans in pain, muttering, “You’re _blind_.”

“Tell me something I don’t know, Princess Shuri,” Matt replies. Rhodey and Jessica stare at the masked attacker. Now that she isn’t moving so much in the mess, they can see that she’s in a Black Panther suit.

A beat.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I can hear your heartbeat. It’s no use lying to me,” Matt says. “It’s time to take off the mask and go home.”

The mask withdraws, revealing Shuri. She looks older, obviously, worn down and grown up. She asks, drained, “Without my family, what use is it?”

“Going around in the dark beating up bad guys isn’t the way, believe me,” Jessica says. She glances at Matt as she says so, and she knows Matt is aware of the look she gives him.

Rhodey says, “Tony’s trying to get everyone back. If you’re not willing to go back to Wakanda, then please come to the Avengers Compound to help.”

* * *

Shuri went back to the Avengers Compound with Rhodey, Jessica and Matt, and agreed to help Tony, Bruce and Rocket with the Quantum suits. After looking over the plans, Shuri suggested that they make something smaller that does the same thing, like an arm band or something of the like. She offered her laboratory and technology in Wakanda to help it move faster. They moved their work to Wakanda, who was apparently now run by M’Baku. The people were a mix of the different tribes, banding together to repair Wakanda. Okoye and Nakia welcomed Shuri back, and they could get to work.

With the blueprints and the help of Shuri’s technology, Rocket and Bruce, Tony managed to get a working Quantum band finished within a few days. With a completed prototype, Tony could easily make a few more in a shorter amount of time. They’d decided that the people who were going back in time were Tony, Steve, Thor, Natasha and Scott.

“I could help,” Bruce insists. “Hulk could help.”

“I know, buddy. But I need you _here_ so you three can finish the gauntlet by the time we get back. We won’t be able to hold the Stones ourselves for too long, we’ll need a place to put it down,” Tony says apologetically. Bruce nods, albeit reluctantly, and Tony claps once, saying, “Right, everyone’s got their Quantum bands, Lang’s in his suit. Lang, you know anything else about the Quantum Realm?”

Scott says, “I think Hank said there was a nexus or whatever in it. If you go in, you can access your memories or something, go back to then. It’s a theory, though. Hank never tested it. We could try that?”

It turns out to be a not-so-good idea, because as they entered the nexus, Thor, Tony and Scott got spat out in the New York battle, just as Stephen asked. However, Natasha and Steve were somewhere else.

“God damn it. Should have installed comms in these suits, but I wasn’t sure if they’d work,” Tony cusses under his breath.

“They will be able to find their way back, I trust. We should find my brother,” Thor reminds.

Tony replies, “You go find Reindeer Games, we’ll tell Steve what’s going on so he can make sure our past selves don’t see us and create a paradox.” Thor nods, navigating through the mess, while making sure he isn’t seen.

“Hey, there’s Captain America,” Scott points, nudging Tony’s arm. His gaze follows Scott’s finger and he starts walking in his direction. Past Steve is standing on top of a car, commanding some police officers. Tony waits for the cops and civilians to disperse before he and Scott run over.

“Steve!” Tony calls. Past Steve squints and turns in the direction of Tony’s voice, frowning in confusion.

“Tony? Why are you here? Where’s your suit?” Past Steve asks, getting off the car. He gestures to Scott with his shield, “Who’s this?”

“You don’t need to know about him,” Tony replies. Meeting Past Steve is already pushing his luck, introducing someone from the future is just crossing the line. Past Steve gives Scott an unsure look as Tony continues, “I wish I could, but I can’t tell you much about what’s going on.” They narrowly dodge a fallen Chitauri, Past Steve bringing his shield over the three of them. Tony goes on, tense from the time crunch, “Steve, listen to me. We’re from the future. Or another dimension. Not sure. I don’t know what’s going to happen after I talk to you. I can’t tell you anything except to keep the Avengers from seeing us or Thor.”

Past Steve glances up at the sky, asking in surprise, “Thor came with you? Where is he?”

“Finding Loki. Just make sure they don’t see us. Keep them away from Stark Tower, yeah? This guy’s got his own places to go and none of us knew him back then, so I don’t think you gotta keep an eye out for him,” Tony says. He points to Scott as he says the last sentence.

Past Steve nods, shaking his head as he chuckles, “Is there anything you can’t do? Time travel, Tony, really?”

“Or dimension jumping. Who knows at this point? I could be making another dimension where the Guardians never happened just because I’m standing here talking to you,” Tony shrugs.

Past Steve stares at him, “The Guardians?”

“You’ll know them someday,” Tony gives him a sad smile. Scott glances at him and Tony amends, “Maybe not. I might have made this a whole new reality or timeline. I don’t know if that nexus takes us to the past or alters reality or —“

Past Steve interrupts him, placing a hand on Tony’s arm, “Tony. I’ll do it. You do what you have to do.”

Tony returns Past Steve’s smile, nodding, “Thanks, Cap.”

As Tony and Scott turn to leave, Past Steve calls out, “I love you!”

Scott turns to Tony in surprise, repeating, “I love you?”

Tony shakes his head, saying quietly to Scott, “Steve and I dated around this time. He probably thinks we’re still dating in the future or in another world... Doesn’t matter.” He turns back around, flashing a grin at Past Steve, but he doesn’t return the words. Scott and him move between buildings, avoiding screaming civilians. Tony asks, “Where are you going?”

Scott answers, looking around, “Gonna find Hope, tell her something. If you’re right about this being another dimension or timeline or something... Maybe I can make it easier for her.”

Tony gives him a nod, wishing him good luck before they separate. Scott heads in the direction of Hank’s company.

* * *

Steve and Natasha turn up in the middle of the street.

It’s definitely not the present time and not anywhere in the future. The cars lined on the road are classic, Steve doesn’t see these types of cars in the present.

“Looks like maybe the 1950s or so,” Natasha comments. “So the nexus doesn’t go to our memories?”

“Then Lang was wrong about that,” Steve replies, looking around for anything that might look familiar. He mutters, “Maybe we can find S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Natasha nods towards somewhere else, “Or somewhere nearer...” Steve follows her line of sight, seeing where she’s indicating — Strategic Scientific Reserve.

* * *

“Sorry, do you know where Hope Van Dyne is?” Scott asks a passing employee. He gives Scott’s outfit a weird look, ignoring him, and Scott mutters, “Yeah, I look weird, I get it.”

He looks around the lobby of Pym Technologies on his own, trying to spot Hope.

“Thank you, Miss Pym.”

“Please. Miss Van Dyne.”

Scott’s head snaps in the direction of the voice and he grins when he recognises the familiar bob. It takes a moment to adjust to the short hair as compared to the long style he knows Hope to presently have. The woman talking to Hope points to Scott and whispers to her inaudibly, and Hope looks over. They exchange a few words before Hope walks to him, asking, “Can I help you?”

“Hope! Um, I need to tell you something. It’s not gonna make a whole lot of sense, but —“

“Why are you wearing my d—that weird suit?” Hope asks, looking him up and down.

Scott presses on, “I’m not gonna make sense, but please hear me out. I’m from the future. Or another dimension.” He groans, stressed, “Stark’s still figuring it out.”

“ _Stark_? Okay. I’m done talking. Bye,” Hope says sharply, turning.

Scott runs in front of her, stopping her in her tracks, “Hope, wait! Just let me say what I need to say, and I’ll be out of here.” Hope crosses her arms, giving him an expectant look, and Scott continues, “This is gonna sound really bad, but you need to trust Tony Stark.”

Hope’s eyes widen and she hisses, “Stark screwed us over and you’re asking me to trust his son?”

“Stark’s Stark. This is _Tony_. His kid, not him,” Scott tries. “He’s different from his dad, I promise. I was surprised myself. He’s done a lot of good.”

“He used to make weapons,” Hope says flatly.

“Key word is he used to. His dad made weapons. He _stopped_ it,” Scott defends. Hope doesn’t say anything else, and Scott goes on, “I need you to trust him. Maybe now, he’s still a little off for you. That’s fine. But in a couple years, after he and Captain America fight, I need you to trust him and help.”

“Him and Captain America, _fight_?” Hope almost laughs. “Wasn’t there news or something that they’re dating?”

Scott sighs, rubbing his face, “That’s a long time ago. I swear, I wouldn’t be asking this of you if it wasn’t important. Just in case us being here changes the future or this reality or whatever. If Stark finds you, help him.”

Hope presses her lips together in thought for a moment before she asks, “Anything else you’d like to say, or are you done?”

“You have to become the Wasp,” he says quietly, so nobody passing hears him.

Hope stares at him, bewildered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I told you I’m from the future. Another world. I don’t know. But I know you and Hank. I know he’s Ant-Man. I know _Janet_ ,” Scott says. Hope freezes at the mention of Janet’s name.

“How do you know my mom?” Hope asks, shocked.

Scott answers, “I met her, five years ago. She was the Wasp before you. She’s a really nice lady.” Hope still doesn’t respond, processing the fact that this stranger knows her mother. Scott continues, “I really need to go. Ask Hank about being the Wasp, he’ll probably need time to come to terms with that. But you need to trust Stark. Become the Wasp.” Hope just stares at him speechlessly as he begins to walk away.

“And Hope?” he adds, last-minute. Hope looks at him, listening. Scott says quietly, “I’m sorry I let you down. I’m going to fix this. I promise.”

“Fix what?” Hope calls out after him. He doesn’t reply, and Hope asks, “Who are you?”

Scott answers from the doorway, “You’ll know in a couple years. Goodbye, Hope.”

He leaves after that, and Hope stands there watching him go.

* * *

“Brother!”

Past Loki glances upward from his place in Stark Tower, squinting against the sun. Didn’t he just see Thor go the other way? Thor descends to meet him, and Past Loki realises this Thor is different — short hair, different armour, no hammer. A large axe with a twisty handle is in its place.

“Thor?” Past Tony calls as he looks out Stark Tower’s window. “What’s with the makeover?”

Past Loki just stares at Thor, his face asking the same question as Past Tony. Thor lands outside the window and slides it open, stepping in. Past Tony mutters, “I’ve got this under control, Shakespeare. Go help the others.”

“I need to talk to my brother,” Thor replies.

Past Loki chuckles, clearly thrown off his rhythm, as he says, “I’m not going back with you, Thor.”

Past Tony asks, glancing between the two, “Thor? What’s going on?” Before Thor can say anything else, Past Tony’s on the floor. Past Loki and Thor look up to see Tony standing over Past Tony.

Tony flexes his hand, muttering, “Never thought I’d knock myself out, but here we are.”

Past Loki stares at him, questioning, “What is this?”

“Loki, I need to say I’m sorry. I haven’t been the best brother,” Thor begins. Tony goes behind the bar top, pouring himself a drink. He intends to let Thor resolve his issues with Loki and get him to help. Nobody would be able to talk Loki into helping them, unless it’s Thor doing it. Past Loki blinks, taken aback, and Thor continues, “I never used to understand, but now I do. Loki, you’re my brother. I love you more than you know. I’m sorry I ever made you feel less than so.” Past Loki’s mouth hangs open, but he’s been rendered speechless for the first time since Tony met him. The God of Mischief always has something to say.

“What’s going on?” Loki asks.

“I need your help, brother. With Thanos,” Thor cuts to the chase. Past Loki stiffens at the name and Thor says, “I know he doesn’t sit well with you. He’s done things to you that I will never know. He...” Thor takes a deep breath, and Past Loki just stares at him, emotion unreadable. Thor forces himself to go on, “He’s done things to you that I will never forgive myself for allowing to happen. Please help him stop it from happening.”

Past Loki finally guesses, “You’re not from now.”

“You’re right. Not from now, maybe not even from here,” Tony says from the counter. “Look, I know we’ve got issues, but even I have to say it. We need your help.”

Thor continues to say, “We need the Tesseract.”

Past Loki narrows his eyes, “What for?”

Thor answers, “We need to use it to find the Soul Stone.”

Past Loki shakes his head, saying, “Nobody knows of the Soul Stone’s location.”

“Yeah, but maybe the Space Stone in the Tesseract could help find it,” Tony says. “Stephen Strange asked us to find you, get you to give us the Stone.”

Past Loki gives him a weird look at Stephen’s name, not knowing who that is. Thor tries, “Loki... Please. Thanos has done enough to you and I want to make sure he never gets to you again. I need the Stones. The one in your sceptre and the Tesseract. Please help me, Loki.”

Past Loki thinks for a while, looking at Thor. He definitely looks a little older, an obvious observation. His eyes are tired, haunted, like he’s seen things he will never forget. Past Loki catches a glimpse of Thor’s wrist, noting the bare skin. He’d seen some initials on Past Thor’s wrist, so this answers some questions.

“What did Thanos do?” Past Loki asks.

“Can’t tell you,” Tony immediately responds.

“ _Tell_ _me_ ,” Loki says forcibly. “What did Thanos do?”

Thor answers, “He got all six stones and wiped out half of the universe’s population.”

Past Loki asks, voice low so Tony can’t hear them, “Did he get me and your soulmate?”

“He wiped out the soulmate,” Thor replies. “He snapped your neck.”

Past Loki freezes at the information. Thor knows he has Loki now. He presses on, “I want to stop that. Loki, I don’t want to watch you die in front of me again.”

His action is slow, but Past Loki passes Thor his sceptre. Thor takes it gratefully and lays it down on the counter, in front of Tony. Past Loki tells them, “I’ll obtain the Tesseract.”

* * *

Steve and Natasha walk into the office of Strategic Scientific Reserve, trying to spot a familiar face. There’s a photo of a man Steve doesn’t recognise hanging on the wall that Natasha points out. Under the picture is a nameplate — John Flynn.

The clerk glances up at Steve and Natasha from her seat behind the counter and she gasps, “You’re Captain America.”

Steve gives her a sad smile, “I was.”

“I know someone who’d be really happy to see you,” she says. “Just go through there. You’ll find her.”

Steve mumbles a brief thank you and he and Natasha go where the clerk pointed out. They pass through an office full of women, aged from their 20s to their 50s, all hard at work on their computers. Looking around, Steve doesn’t recognise any of the women, until he sees wavy brown locks that he could recognise anywhere.

“Peggy?”

Peggy turns around, eyes widening when she realises who it is. She whispers to a woman working beside her who nods in response before she walks over to Steve, pulling him out of the office. Natasha follows close behind.

“Steve? How are you here? I thought you died,” she says, eyes searching Steve’s face for answers.

Steve pulls her into a hug, tears pricking his eyes, “Peggy, I’m so happy to see you.”

Peggy laughs in happiness, nodding as she returns the embrace, “Me too. How is this possible?”

Steve answers, “It’s a long story, and I have to go meet my friends soon. I came here to look for answers, but this is just as good.”

Peggy grins, saying, “What answers were you looking for? I’ll help you if I can. It’s got to be important if you came back to the land of the living for it.”

“I don’t think it’s anything you’d know about,” Steve replies. “But I want to talk to you.”

“Steve, take your time, but we need to find Stark soon,” Natasha says.

Peggy asks, “Stark? What are you doing with Howard?”

Steve shakes his head, “Not Howard. His son, Tony.” He has a moment where he remembers fighting Tony with Bucky by his side. A memory of the Winter Soldier recording flashes through his mind. He adds sadly, “I wouldn’t say I have the right to meet Howard again.”

“Why?” Peggy asks, confused. “He loves you. Everyone knows it.”

“He wouldn’t love me if he knew what I did,” Steve mutters. Peggy is about to ask what he’d done, but Steve chimes in before she can, “Peggy, I don’t have time, so I’ll try to keep it short. What I’m doing, I don’t know the consequences. Not even Tony knows what will happen while we’re doing this. I don’t know if I’m in the past or another world. I just hope you don’t forget me after this.”

Peggy says, a soft smile on her lips, “Steve, I would never forget you. You saved us all.”

Steve continues, “You’ve been one of the best friends I have ever had, Peggy. Thank you for everything. I’m sorry I can’t stay longer.”

Peggy nods understandingly, “You do what you have to. I believe you can do it, whatever it is. Good luck.” Steve nods, smiling, before Peggy calls him back, “Wait! I’ve got something. I kept it since you died, hoping one day you’d miraculously come back.” She pulls a locket out of her pocket, putting it in Steve’s hand. Steve gives her a grateful look and Peggy gives him another hug, mumbling, “I’m going to miss you.”

“Me too,” Steve says.

“Now go be Captain America,” she grins, stepping away. “Or you know, Steve Rogers always works.”

Steve smiles back at her, “And you go be Peggy Carter. God knows you’re amazing at that.”

“Goodbye, Steve,” she calls out. “Will we meet again?”

“Yeah,” Steve replies. “I’ll find you again in a couple years. I promise.”

Peggy waves goodbye and Natasha and Steve leave the office. As Natasha works out the Quantum band on her wrist, she nods to the locket, “What’s in it?”

Steve smiles, opening it, “I know what it is.”

In the locket is a photo of Bucky, radiant smile on his dirty face.

* * *

“The Tesseract,” Past Loki says, holding it out to Thor.

Thor takes it, thanks written all over his face. He says, “I won’t let you down, Loki.” Loki just nods once, not knowing how else to respond, and Thor adds, an echo from Loki’s last words, “The sun will shine on us again.”

“Perhaps it will,” Past Loki replies. “If anyone can do it, it’d be you, brother.”

The elevator dings as Scott steps out. Tony looks at him and notes, “Almost time to go.”

“And Loki?” Thor says, as he turns to follow Scott and Tony. Past Loki glances at him and Thor finishes, “You have always been my equal, nothing less.” Stunned, Past Loki says nothing, and Thor just walks back to him, pulling him into a hug.

“What is with you, Thor?” Past Loki asks, though he doesn’t pull away from Thor’s hug.

“I just wanted you to know that I love you, brother,” Thor says. Past Loki just looks on in silence as the three men leave with the sceptre and the Tesseract. As the elevator doors close and the numbers on the level indicator begin to descend, Past Tony groans as he gets up.

“What the hell happened?” he mutters.

* * *

Steve and Natasha managed to find their way back to present day, and now everyone is waiting for the three others.

“Where’d you go?” Clint asks.

“We went to see Peggy,” Steve answers. “She gave me my locket.”

Clint nods, looking around the Compound briefly, “So what about the other three?”

As the words leave Clint’s mouth, the three of them jump back into reality, the sceptre in Tony’s hand and the Tesseract in Thor’s. Everyone grins in relief of their safe return.

“Come on, is the gauntlet done?” Tony asks. “I want to see my boyfriend and son again.”

Shuri holds a black gauntlet in her hands, similar to the one Thanos wore, and says, “It’s a first prototype. It might not work.”

Tony takes it, nodding, “I’ll take my chances. Let’s get to work!”

* * *

Thankfully, Shuri’s gauntlet works. With Rocket and Bruce’s help, they’d managed to speed up the construction of it in time for Tony’s return. 

“I think only you can wield this, buddy,” Tony says, turning to Bruce. “Nobody here is stronger than the big guy.”

“But Tony...” Bruce trails off.

Tony replies, “Bruce, if I could, I would wear it so you won’t have to. But this gauntlet’s gonna have Infinity Stones in it and Thor and Rocket’s said that Quill almost died holding just one and he’s a demigod or something. But you’ve got the Hulk on your side and that guy won’t let you die.”

Bruce nods slowly, mumbling, “I’ll do it.”

He turns into the Hulk, dressed in the black-purple-white elastic suit Tony had designed for him a few years back when the Hulk decided to come out again. At least Bruce wouldn’t wake up naked when he turned back to normal. With the Hulk out, Tony slips the gauntlet over his left hand.

“You ready, buddy?” Tony asks. Hulk nods, and Thor places the Soul Stone into one of the holes. Hulk winces as the gauntlet glows, the power seeping into him, but he’s alright when the light subsides.

“It works!” Shuri cheers excitedly, going closer to look at the gauntlet with the Space Stone in it.

Tony asks, “Hulk, can you bring some of us to wherever the Soul Stone is?” Hulk nods, and Tony points out Steve and Carol, “You two are coming with us.”

* * *

They find themselves on a planet that Carol thinks she recognises as a place named Vormir. It’s actually a gorgeous landscape, and Tony wishes he was visiting on different circumstances. Steve points out a tall formation, and they make their way to it.

A hooded figure greets them, “Welcome, Anthony Stark. Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel. Doctor Bruce Banner, the Hulk.” The figure pauses before adding, “Steve Rogers, Captain America.”

“How do you know who we are?” Carol asks.

He responds, “It is my curse to know all who journey here.”

“Where’s the Stone?” Tony demands.

“It extracts a heavy price. If you think you are prepared to pay it, we all think that at first. We are all wrong,” the figure glides out of the shadows, revealing its face.

“Red Skull,” Steve mumbles, surprised at his identity. “Johann Schmidt? What are you doing here?”

Schmidt replies, “That is a name I haven’t heard in a while. I, too, sought the Stones. I held one, but it cast me out, banished me here. Left me to guide others to a treasure I cannot possess.”

He leads the four of them to a semicircular engraving overlooking a sheer drop. He says, “What you seek lies before you. As does what you fear. This is the price. The Soul Stone holds a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say it has certain wisdom. In order to claim it, you must lose that which you love. A soul... for a soul.”

The four of them exchange looks, not knowing what to do.

Tony shakes his head, muttering, “I’m out. I love Stephen and Peter and neither of them are here to even start that conversation.” Carol rules herself out, as well as Hulk. Tony asks, hoping Steve has something to offer, “Cap? Anything?”

Steve pulls out the locket. It feels heavy, like he can feel all of what Bucky is in the small photograph. Bucky’s face smiles up at him through the thin glass that covers the photograph.

“He’s not around, but I have this. Will it do?” Steve asks, holding up the locket.

Tony asks, voice hushed, “You sure you want to do this, Steve?”

“What other choice do I have?” Steve asks, strained.

Schmidt doesn’t answer for a while, but says, “You may try.”

Steve stands over the edge, holding the locket in his hand. He takes a final look at Bucky’s beautiful grin. His cheeks are dirty from dust and combat, but his eyes are bright with love and pride.

“I’m sorry, Bucky,” Steve whispers. “I love you more than anything.”

He throws the locket down, and he flinches when he hears the gold collide with the ground.

The four of them find themselves lying in one of the shallow pools at the edge of the mountain, and in Steve’s hand is the Soul Stone. He quickly gets up, placing it in the gauntlet on Hulk’s hand. Hulk clenches his fist, bringing them back to the Avengers Compound.

“They’re back!” Rhodey announces. Jessica, Matt, Natasha, Clint, Shuri, Rocket, Nebula, Scott and Rhodey are all there, anxiously awaiting their return.

Tony turns to Hulk, nodding, “You can do it. Come on.”

Hulk raises his hand, holding his fingers in a snap formation. Everyone gives Hulk encouraging looks — spare Jessica and Matt. Jessica takes a swig of her drink, muttering about how this better work, and Matt just cocks his head in the direction of Hulk, listening for the snap.

Hulk takes a deep breath and snaps his fingers.

* * *

“Woah, what the hell? Where am I?” Luke’s voice comes through first. Jessica’s flask falls from her hands as she runs over, pulling him into a hug. Luke takes a moment to adjust, but he returns it gladly. Matt walks over, a grin growing on his face, and Luke can’t resist making Matt join the hug. Jessica eventually turns away to call Danny to let him know.

Everyone watches in anticipation of their friends’ returns. Some civilians started showing up, in which Natasha, Carol and Steve talked them into calming down and showed them the way out so they could go home to their families.

“Dad?”

“Holy sh— _Peter_!” Tony runs over, hugging Peter and kissing his forehead.Peter flinches to Tony’s touch at first — something Tony makes a note of asking about later — but melts into it, arms going around Tony’s waist to return it. When Tony opens his eyes again, he sees a combination of blue and red that he’d grown to adore.

“Steph...” Tony mutters, pinching himself. _This_ _better_ _not_ _be_ _a_ _dream_. Stephen laughs in relief, walking up to Tony and cupping his face, pulling him into a deep kiss. Tony happily kisses back, unable to keep the tears from coming.

“I knew you could do it,” Stephen says once they pull away.

“Marry me,” Tony says breathlessly.

Stephen blinks, taken aback, “What?”

“Not the way I thought I’d ask, but I love you more than anything and I’m so happy to have you back, I don’t want to go another second without you. Marry me,” Tony rushes out, cheeks red from adrenaline. Peter watches excitedly, waiting for Stephen’s answer.

“Answer him, Mr Dr Strange...” Peter mumbles, glancing between the two men. Stephen breaks into laughter again, pressing a few more kisses on Tony’s lips before he nods, grinning.

“Is that a yes?” Tony almost shouts, excitement taking over.

Stephen jokes, “Well, you’re not my first choice, but sure.” Tony just stares at him, the overwhelming emotions rendering him unable to judge if Stephen was serious or not, and Stephen rolls his eyes, saying, “ _Yes_ , Tony. I will marry you.”

“Holy shit!” Tony laughs, kissing Stephen once more before he shouts, elated, “Stephen Strange is gonna marry me!”

The other heroes cheer for them. At least, the ones that can hear him on top of the commotion, and Jessica has to come over to congratulate them.

“It’s about time,” she says, though she, too, smiles. She hugs them both, saying to Stephen and Peter, “I’m glad you’re back. This guy’s been way too sad without you two around.”

As the heroes catch up, the others slowly appear — Sam Wilson, T’Challa, Wanda, Clint’s family... Steve just stands solemnly, his hope of Bucky appearing depleting. Natasha pats his back comfortingly, “I’m sorry, Steve.” She’d noticed that the locket was no longer with Steve upon their return. Steve just nods silently.

Thor waits anxiously for the Guardians — well, one Guardian in particular. Rocket and Nebula stand next to him, waiting as well. Thor stares at his wrist as faint ink begins to make itself seen.

Peter Quill appears directly in front of him, a confused look on his face. The two of them have a moment of silence, just staring at one another. Thor tries to find the words he wants to say, but his mind goes blank. It’s got only one word, one name, repeating itself again and again in his head.

 _Peter_.

“Thor? Where am I?” Quill asks once he’s snapped back into reality. Thor blinks himself out of his trance.

Rocket answers, “Earth.” Quill looks at Rocket, who just rolls his eyes, “Hate to say it, but it’s good to see you again, Quill. Kinda missed you.” Quill smiles at him, appreciating some kind words from the raccoon for once.

Slowly, the other Guardians reappear. Mantis and Drax. Nebula welcomes Mantis back, and Drax refrains from pointing out that Gamora is not with them.

Thor puts a hand on Quill’s arm, catching his attention.

“Yeah, Thor?” Quill asks, looking at Thor’s hand.

“It’s... I’m glad you’re back,” Thor says.

Quill smiles, nodding, “You too.”

Thor swears he’d seen a little black lightning bolt on Quill’s wrist.


	5. grace is just weakness (or so i’ve been told)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> side note:  
> any segment that does not include peter parker, peter quill will be named as ‘peter’. in scenes including parker, quill will be named as ‘quill’.

Thor knocks lightly on Peter Quill’s door. The recently resurrected outlaw is sitting on his bed, fiddling with the new Walkman he and Tony had bought for him upon his return. Thor and Tony had heard about what happened with Ego from Rocket, and the two of them thought it would be nice to get him a new Walkman since it clearly had sentimental value. Peter looks to the door, nodding to signal that Thor can come in. Thor closes the door gently behind him.

“How are you?” Thor asks.

“Could be better,” Peter answers, turning so he’s facing Thor, who leans against the wall. Thor gestures for him to elaborate and Peter obliges, “It’s like... how do you go on?” Peter pauses for a moment, trying to organise his thoughts, before he continues, “How do I live with failing Gamora? How do I breathe?” Peter is clearly getting more hysterical with every word as he goes on, “I could have done something. If I moved fast enough, maybe if I didn’t lose my shit. If I didn’t ask about her until after we got the gauntlet off that purple asshole... Maybe Gamora would still be alive. How am I supposed to go on like this?” Tears prick his eyes as he sets down the Walkman, overridden with guilt.

Thor listens quietly, letting Peter finish talking. Peter says, “I always fail. I failed my mom, I failed Gamora...”

“You didn’t fail anyone,” Thor says gently. He sits down on the bed next to Peter, facing him so the other man can feel his sincerity behind every word, “You did all that you could. It is Thanos who should feel remorse, not you. You did good.”

“I don’t think I did good, but thanks,” Peter says, sniffing.

“Peter, listen. It’s not your fault. If it was, then every one of us has a little blame in it,” Thor says. “I could have gone for the head, but instead, I chose to make it slow.”

Peter is quiet for a while before he asks, “You wanted it to hurt because he killed your brother, right?”

“That would be right,” Thor answers softly. “My pride is my downfall.”

“It’s not your fault. I would have done the same. Fact is, I could have helped Stark and his kid get the gauntlet off but I chose to taunt that son of a bitch. Then I freaked out about Gamora and I royally screwed up,” Peter shakes his head, as if he’s disappointed in himself. Thor watches him, regret radiating from him.

“Then I suppose we are both screw ups,” Thor says, leaning over to bump Peter’s shoulder with his own. Peter laughs a little — it’s a weak laugh, not a full blown laugh, but Thor will take it. Seeing Peter smile feels like a victory. Thor unconsciously runs his thumb over the ‘PQ’ on his wrist.

“That, we are,” Peter smiles, nodding. “We gotta fix this. But where do we start?”

Thor answers, thinking back to anything Tony has told him, “We have a gauntlet made by Banner, the Princess and the rabbit, plus the Mind, Space and Soul Stone. I assume the sorcerer has the Time Stone. That would leave two more. We will have to retrieve them before Thanos realises what we’ve done.”

“So... is it downtime now or what?” Peter asks. “Stark hasn’t asked any of us to do anything.”

“He has been busy with a secret project and formulating plans with the two captains. He wants the people who just returned from the Soul Realm to rest for a while before he starts involving them in missions. I believe he has his own troubles with his husband and son ever since their return,” Thor answers. He pauses, turning to look at Peter, before he asks, “What about you? What was your experience in the Soul Stone?”

Peter breaks the eye contact, “I’d rather not talk about it, thanks.”

Thor tries, “I heard from Rogers that sometimes talking about it makes it better.”

“The worst moments of my life, playing in a constant loop,” Peter finally says. “It’ll be me with my mom, and then I ran. I’d run to Knowhere and suddenly I’ve got a gun pointed at Gamora. The blasts turn to bubbles and she disappears, then I’m back with my mom again. Endless loop. I swear, it was driving me fucking crazy.”

Thor asks tentatively, “What happened with your mother? The rabbit only told me that your father destroyed the music player she gifted you but told us nothing else about her.”

“She died. My dad put a tumour in her brain and killed her with that,” Peter answers.

“I apologise. I wouldn’t have asked if I knew,” Thor immediately replies.

Peter rolls his eyes, but he clearly doesn’t take offence, “Well, you would have to ask to know. But it’s fine, you don’t have to say sorry.”

“But are you well?” Thor changes the topic. “Did your time in the Soul Stone affect you? You may confide in me about how you feel if you like.”

Peter answers, “It was just a couple nightmares. No biggie.” Though he plays it off like nothing, it’s obviously eating into him. Thor wants to ask, wants to know how he can make it better for Peter, but he knows he won’t answer.

“I know not if this helps, but none of it is your fault. You tried your best. Sometimes, that’s all we can really do,” Thor says sincerely. Peter looks up at him and gives him a smile.

“Thanks, Thor,” he says.

Thor returns the grin, feeling his heart pick up.

* * *

Peter walks into the kitchen near midnight, wanting to get some water, but he realises there’s already two people there. He remembers seeing them when he returned, but he still doesn’t really know who they are. A dark-haired woman in a form-fitting sleeveless shirt and jeans leans against the counter, drinking straight from a bottle. Seated at the kitchen island is a brunet man in a plain shirt and shorts.

The man turns his head in the direction of Peter and the woman looks up to him. Peter greets quietly, going over to get a glass, “Hey.”

“Don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” the man says. Peter turns to look at him — he’s a handsome guy, that much Peter can admit, but the one thing that catches Peter off guard is that he’s blind. His brown eyes are unfocussed, not looking at anything at all.

“Peter Quill,” Peter introduces. “I didn’t know you were... you know.”

“Blind. You can say it. It’s not a bad word, “ the man laughs. Peter nods, a little unsure. He hates that he’s tiptoeing around the subject, but he doesn’t really want to offend the handsome guy on accident. The man introduces, “I’m Matthew Murdock and this is Jessica Jones. She’s a close friend of Stark, Strange and Parker’s.”

“Speaking of those three, Tony proposed to Stephen. Finally,” Jessica grins, lifting her bottle as if celebrating. “Those two have been dragging this on long enough.”

Matt smiles, “I didn’t see a ring. I’m guessing he’ll do an actual proposal at some point.”

“I’m sorry, _see_?” Peter repeats, confused. “I thought you said you were blind.”

“I’m not faking it, I assure you,” Matt laughs. Peter just stares at him, still dumbfounded, and Matt explains, “I went blind from radioactive waste, but it also enhanced my other senses. I can’t see like you do, but it works. Sight’s overrated anyway.”

Jessica rolls her eyes, grinning, “That’s kind of his catchphrase now. He used it on Danny, now he’s gonna use it on everyone else.”

Peter laughs, sitting down with them, “It’s pretty cool. I don’t have a catchphrase.”

“I don’t think you would need one, anyway,” Matt smiles. “You’re Peter Quill from space, a... What is it that you do in space?”

Peter answers pridefully, “I’m a legendary outlaw. People know me as Star-Lord.”

Jessica rolls her eyes at the name, though she does smile a little at its ridiculousness, and Matt grins, “You’re the legendary Star-Lord. You’re from space. That wouldn’t really require a catchphrase, it’ll stand well on its own.”

“I can’t believe you’re bonding over catchphrases,” Jessica groans, but it’s clear that she’s amused by their conversation.

They talk for quite a while — Peter didn’t recall Earth having so many interesting people. He learns that Jessica is extremely strong and that Matt is kind of famous in both his secret identity and his public self. Jessica is a skilled private investigator and Matt’s a good lawyer. Peter just laughs and tells them they’re nothing compared to his life as a space outlaw. They get along really great, and, well, it’s just his and Matt’s problem if Matt can hear Peter’s interest in him growing.

* * *

“Tones? Don’t freak out, but I think we have a problem,” Stephen decides is the best way to start the conversation.

Tony immediately turns to face him, shooing Dum-E away. He also shoves some blueprints away, and Stephen makes a mental note to ask about those later. Their current problem is more serious. Tony raises an eyebrow, “Don’t tell me... you’re pregnant? And I’m the father?”

Stephen rolls his eyes, “I wish it were that simple.”

Tony grows serious, asking, “What is it, honey?”

“The Time Stone isn’t on me... I don’t know if your time travelling or dimension jumping altered my history, but I think it did. My hands have no scars and I... I find that I’m...” Stephen trails off, trying to summon some magic. Nothing comes out, not even a spark. Stephen completes his sentence, voice quiet, “I don’t have my powers. I don’t know how, but you going to the New York battle made it so that I never had my accident.”

“Steph... We need that Stone and you need your mojo if we’re gonna take down Thanos. What do we do?” Tony asks. Stephen is always the most level-headed, even when he wasn’t.

Stephen exhales shakily before he says, “I think I have to go back and cause my own accident.”

Tony freezes up, staring at his fiancé. It’s a no-brainer that the accident traumatised Stephen, and it definitely still haunts him to this day. Tony still doesn’t even know what happened in the Soul Stone, neither Peter nor Stephen want to talk about it, so Tony doesn’t know if Stephen should do it.

“There’s got to be another way,” Tony tries. “Maybe we can send someone you didn’t know then to tell you to go to Kamar-Taj. Jess could go. Maybe even Quill.”

Stephen shakes his head, “You know it has to be me, Tony.”

Tony sighs heavily, “Why can’t it be me?”

“Because I know you’ll never hurt me,” Stephen answers quietly. Tony knows it’s true. He would never dare lay a finger on Stephen, even if it means he never meets him or he never marries him. He only wants Stephen to be safe.

“When are you leaving?” Tony asks.

“Now,” Stephen replies, beginning to walk out of Tony’s workshop. “I’ll meet you upstairs. Could you get me one of those Quantum bands?”

* * *

Matt raps on the door of Peter Quill — over the years of staying in the Compound, Tony had been kind enough to add Braille signboards on doors so Matt could read whose room it was. Even though Matt doesn’t always use it because he can practically hear who’s on the other side of the door, he appreciates the gesture. Either way, Matt’s senses have sharpened with every day that passes, and he finds that he can feel the slight raise of ink on paper. Soon enough, he’ll be able to read normal text, if he just keeps at it enough.

Peter grins, Matt doesn’t need to see it to know he is, and he welcomes him in. Matt asks, sitting on Peter’s empty chair, “What are you doing?”

“You should know,” Peter replies, smirking.

Matt takes the Zune from Peter’s hands — the small device leaves Peter’s grip with no argument. Matt feels the circular button, the rectangular screen. It’s slick with oil residue from Peter’s fingers, smudged with his fingerprints and the fabric of his pants pockets. The earphones connected to it feels a little worn already, Matt swears he can feel the internal wire at some parts.

Matt complains, light-hearted yet deep down, regretful, “I don’t really listen to music that often. Maybe I’ll listen if Foggy or Karen plays the radio in our office, but I don’t use earphones anymore. The enhanced hearing really makes it unpleasant. The sharp sounds are even sharper, quiet sounds collide with my eardrums like heavy rain. Speakers are too loud and radios are too tinny.”

“You ever try cassettes?” Peter asks, rummaging around for something. Matt assumes he’s looking for a cassette player.

“No. They’re not exactly readily available nowadays,” Matt replies. Peter chuckles in victory as he retrieves something. He goes to Matt, putting a pair of headphones over his ears. They’re small, they don’t quite cover the full length of Matt’s ears. It doesn’t even close over the ears completely. Matt can tell just by touching it that it’s really old, that Peter has likely been using this pair of headphones for maybe twenty years or so. He hears the click as Peter puts a cassette tape into a Walkman, and another as Peter presses play.

“Let me know if it’s too loud and I’ll turn it down,” Peter says. The first song begins to play — Hooked On A Feeling by Blue Swede. The cassette dulls the sound by quite a bit, it’s not painfully sharp to listen to. Peter also didn’t put the volume up high, so it’s just right. Matt grins as he sways slightly to the music. Peter has good taste, he’ll give him that.

“You like it?” Peter asks, sitting across from Matt on the bed as he watches Matt enjoy the music.

Matt nods, grinning, “Maybe I should try analog after Thanos is defeated.”

Peter replies excitedly, “I could lend you some of my tapes to listen to, if you wanna.”

Matt and Peter talk about anything — some of Peter’s wild space adventures and Matt’s adventure with the Defenders. They really do get along.

Thor walks by and looks in, a crack in the door where Matt failed to close it all the way. He sees Peter and Matt talking animatedly to one another, the space between them closer than he’d prefer it to be. Of course, Peter was allowed to have friends. He was allowed to have an interest in other people if he so desired. Thor didn’t own him. Nobody owned Peter, he was his own man. Peter knew it and he made sure everyone knew it. It’s one of the qualities Thor had realised he liked about the outlaw.

And yet, watching Peter grow so close to the blind vigilante within one day, watching said blind vigilante get closer to dating Peter than Thor has ever been in just one day, is a little painful to watch. Peter isn’t his, he doesn’t have a say in who Peter spends his time with, but it’s not Thor’s fault if jealousy chooses to infect his thoughts.

Thor doesn’t even realise that he’s stopped right outside Peter’s door, his hand frozen just above the handle. He pulls back his hand, trying to pull himself back into reality while he’s at it.

Thor swears he almost decides to just barge in when Matt makes an offhand comment in the middle of Peter talking about being bullied as a kid, “Some kids used to think I was a freak because I was blind and bi. I say, who cares?”

 _I_ _care_ , Thor thinks. _I_ _care_ _that_ _you_ _just_ _made_ _a_ _move_ _on_ _Peter_ _Quill_.

Yeah, maybe it isn’t really fair for Thor to think like this. Matt definitely knows a lot about Peter by now if he’s comfortable enough to tell him his sexuality. Thor still doesn’t know Peter as well as he wishes he did. Sure, maybe Thor can’t tell you what’s Peter’s favourite song or a planet he would never visit. Maybe he doesn’t know the name of Peter’s mother or why he calls himself Star-Lord. But Thor would love to know. It’s not even because of the initials on his wrist. Thor genuinely likes Peter. He likes how he saved Thor five years ago even though Thor knew that people like them wouldn’t be interested in saving people that couldn’t repay their kindness with credits. He likes the way Peter dances to music when he thinks nobody is looking. He also likes the way Peter dances to music while people are looking. He likes how he clearly cares for every single Guardian. He likes that Peter made Stephen and Tony a mixtape just because he could. He likes that Peter’s humour and laughter always lights up a room. He likes the way Peter’s smile can make Thor forget about every bad thought haunting him.

He just likes Peter.

It’s not his fault that Peter Quill is so good.

And yet, despite how much he likes Peter, he’s the one standing outside Peter’s door while he has to watch Peter grin and put a hand on Matt’s shoulder as he says, “Same, man. It’s so good to know I’m not alone.”

He forces himself to walk away when Matt’s hand rests on Peter’s.

* * *

Stephen slips on the Quantum band onto his wrist, staring at it. He really doesn’t want to go.

“You’re sure I can’t go for you?” Tony asks nervously.

Stephen nods, turning to cup Tony’s face as he says, “I’m sure. It has to be me. For closure and all that.”

Tony takes one of Stephen’s hands off his cheeks into his own hand. It’s no longer trembling, and there’s no long scars stretching over the lengths of his fingers. Tony presses a kiss to the back of Stephen’s hand, “Be careful. Don’t get hurt.”

Stephen rolls his eyes, “Ha-ha, very funny. I will get myself very hurt, trust me.”

Tony chuckles at Stephen’s sarcasm and kisses his lips, quick and chaste, “See you soon, honey.”

Stephen nods, stepping away from Tony as he activates the Quantum band.

* * *

Stephen finds himself near the cliff he drove off of almost nine years ago. The view sends shivers down his spine as he checks his watch. He has around ten minutes to come up with a plan to get himself off the cliff.

“Maybe I’ll just run out,” Stephen suggests to himself. “Maybe past me will be so shocked by present me that he’ll drive himself off.”

He shakes his head, “That’s ridiculous. It will never work.”

In the end, he pulls the cloak — ‘Levi’, as he realised Tony called it — up to cover the lower half of his face so past him doesn’t recognise him. One minute before Stephen’s car reaches the area. Stephen prays he doesn’t back out or get hit. Turns out, he didn’t have to fear that at all, because something else arrives that scares past him off the cliff.

“Thanos,” Stephen mutters, backing away. He can feel the scars and the trembles returning, he just needs to hold Thanos off for a while to give the magic time to work its way back into his body.

“The sorcerer,” Thanos greets, turning to face him. “Where is your Time Stone?”

“I don’t have it,” Stephen replies. This time, it’s honest. The Time Stone has yet to return to the Eye of Agamotto. “It disappeared. I don’t know where it is.”

Thanos growls, “Don’t play tricks with me, wizard.” Thanos changes gears as he says that, asking, “How is Stark? I realise he has reversed my deed.”

“He’s doing well,” Stephen answers, still walking backwards while Thanos steps closer. Thanos’ grin is chilling, like he’s going to kill Stephen at any moment. He just needs the magic to come back before he can go.

Thanos says, “I imagine you are his greatest weakness.” He takes another threatening step towards him, continuing, “That would make you the best way to affect Stark, wouldn’t it? Last we met, you gave up the Time Stone for his life.” Thanos pauses, thinking, “Or should we dance the same dance again? Give me the Stone and I will spare Stark’s life.”

“I’m not giving you the Stone anytime soon, I assure you,” Stephen answers, tone measured.

“Do you not love him anymore? You are unwilling to give up the Stone for him this time,” Thanos says.

“I do love him, but your tricks don’t work on me,” Stephen replies, feeling the magic begin to course through his veins. “I’m a Master of the Mystic Arts. I don’t fear you.”

It’s a big lie, but Thanos isn’t Daredevil, he wouldn’t know.

Thanos grins, liking the daring energy, and reaches out to grab Stephen. At that exact moment, Stephen triggers the Quantum band, popping him right out of the timeline. Thanos growls in anger when he realises Stephen has escaped.

* * *

Jessica calls out, bags ready, “Hey, Counsellor, you coming or not?” Luke and Trish were there to give Jessica a ride home. Since Luke’s return to the land of the living, Jessica decided to go back to Hell’s Kitchen. Trish was willing to take Matt back to Hell’s Kitchen as well since he was in the same city as them.

Peter stands at the doorway, watching them. He’d gotten to know Matt the past day, and he actually kind of likes him. The lightning bolt on his wrist itches a little as he thinks that, as if it’s reminding him that Matt isn’t his soulmate, Thor is, and that pursuing whatever with Matt is pointless. It’s not like Thor likes him back anyway, Peter doesn’t think he has any foundation with Thor that he could build a relationship up from. He’s been back for a day and other than a heart-to-heart, they’d barely spoken.

Matt cocks his head a little in Peter’s direction, as if his hearing is so good that he can hear Peter’s thoughts, and a small smile forms on his lips. Jessica raises an eyebrow at the slight movement from her fellow Defender — she was definitely asking him about it.

“I think I’ll stay, just until after this thing with Thanos is sorted. Stark said he could use some extra help, so I can be on-call for missions. I’ll call Foggy to let him know,” Matt answers her. He holds his cane in his hands with a bright grin on his face.

A similar smile works its way onto Peter’s face, delighted with the fact that Matt is staying. Thor sighs, watching Peter watch Matt. He turns to leave, not wanting to see it anymore.

* * *

Tony knocks on his son’s door before he walks in. Peter is lying on his bed, staring out the window. Since Tony has a lot of work to do at the Compound, Stephen and Peter were staying there with him as well. Wong takes care of the Sanctum Sanctorum in Stephen’s absence. 

“Hey, kid. Can we talk?” Tony asks softly. Peter nods slowly, turning in his bed to face Tony. “How are you?”

“I’m really tired,” Peter mumbles. Tony gives him a look like he know that’s not all, and Peter continues, “It was a nightmare. I watched you die. I watched Aunt May die. I watched Mr Strange die. I watched everyone die and I couldn’t do anything about it. I felt myself die.”

Tony sighs, pulling Peter to him in a hug, “I’m sorry you had to go through that. You wanna use the B.A.R.F machine to work that out? It helped me with my own trauma.”

“I’m willing to try anything,” Peter replies, holding back his tears. The nightmares scare him so badly, but he doesn’t want to worry Tony. He has enough on his plate by now with Thanos still around and coming.

Tony nods, pressing a kiss to Peter’s temple, “I’ll do anything to help you. You and Stephen.” Peter sniffs, not responding, but Tony knows Peter is already aware of how much Tony cares about them. Tony adds on, “I have no idea how to help you more right now, but if it helps any, I love you, kid. I’m really, really proud of you. You did great and I can’t wait to see you do even better when you get older.”

Peter breaks into a real grin for the first time since his resurrection, giving Tony a tight hug.

* * *

“Hey Pointbreak. Can’t sleep?” Tony asks, taking the empty space next to the god on the couch. Thor has the news playing — right now, the newscaster is talking about how the ones who turned to ash five years ago were recently brought back by the efforts of the Avengers.

Thor shrugs, “I’m not sleeping now, so I suppose that answers your question.”

Tony nods, leaning into the couch as he says, “Yeah, yeah, no need to be smart about it.” They sit quietly for a while, the newscaster’s voice the only sound in the dimly lit room. Tony suddenly says, “I think I’m gonna get a ring, ask Stephen to marry me properly before we fight Thanos.”

“That’s great,” Thor says genuinely. “I’m happy for you two. And the Man of Spiders as well.”

“Man of Spiders,” Tony laughs. They watch the news switch to another headline about a car accident downtown. Tony asks, “What’s got you so bothered? Is this about Quill again?”

Thor sighs, “I wouldn’t want to bother you with my personal problems. We have enough on a worldwide scale as it is.”

“Well, I have enough time for one personal problem,” Tony replies. “Tell me about him.”

Thor decides to just go for it and rambles, “See, Peter and I had a talk a while back and I was sure we had grown closer as a result of it. Though it seems like he is taking an interest in the one known as Daredevil. They even listened to his music together.” He frowns as he continues, “It is not about the mark on my wrist. It has never been so. I find that I actually quite enjoy his company. He fascinates me.”

Tony nods along, listening to Thor go on and on, and offers, “You know, just one meaningful talk won’t be enough. You gotta show him you really care. I take it someone like him wouldn’t know if people liked him if it slapped him in the face.” Thor laughs a bit at that and Tony smiles, glad that he can make Thor laugh, and continues, “Talk to him more. Help him out when he needs it, listen to his problems. I’m sure he has a lot after the Soul Stone. My fiancé and kid aren’t having the easiest time. And, you know, spend more time with him. All of these are pretty obvious. Just let him know you’re gonna be there and that that isn’t changing anytime soon.”

Thor presses his lips together in thought, committing Tony’s advice to memory, and he smiles, “Thank you, Tony.”

“You’re welcome, Pointbreak,” Tony returns, happy to help.

“I hope this thing with Thanos is over soon. A break will be much appreciated,” Thor says, standing to retire to his room. He was sharing with Brunnhilde.

Tony smiles, “Tell me about it. I’d love a nap or two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also, i’m aware it’s a little less realistic because of all the downtime, but it’s mainly for plot purposes. it will start to pick up eventually, i just needed to develop the characters


	6. i’m not the desperate type but you’ve got me looking in through blinds

Thor walks into the training room, shirtless with a towel around his shoulders, and realises that it’s already in use by Peter Quill and Matt Murdock. Matt is shirtless like Thor, in boxing shorts and muay thai ropes around his hands. Peter’s in a plain shirt and shorts, his grey shirt darkened from sweat. He smiles at Thor, and he kind of has to stop to catch his breath. How is he already this into Peter when they’d barely spoken since their talk?

“Hey, Thor. What’s up?” Peter greets. Matt and Peter stop sparring to turn their attention to Thor.

He replies, “I came here to train, but I see you are already using the room.”

“You can stay,” Peter quickly says before Thor can think twice about staying. “I’m gonna take a break, you could train with Matt while I rest.”

Thor takes him up on the offer when Matt doesn’t argue, hanging his towel on the rack before walking over to Matt. The blind fighter cocks his head, like he’s trying to listen to every move Thor’s going to make in the next few seconds. Peter sits down on one of the benches, wiping his face dry with his own maroon towel as he watches them.

“Are you ready?” Thor asks. Usually, he would just start right away, but he asks out of courtesy for Matt’s disability and politeness because Peter’s there and he doesn’t want to seem rude.

Matt doesn’t respond verbally, instantly striking out at Thor. He dodges the hit narrowly, but another fist collides with his jaw. Thor huffs in annoyance, hitting Matt. He does hold back on his strength, since he’s a god and Matt is only human and nothing more. Peter would be able to take his strength, probably, since he was half Celestial.

Matt takes the punch before he grabs Thor, flipping him over onto his back. When Thor is down, Matt lowers to hold him in a choke hold.

He mutters, “You’re holding back.”

Thor replies, “I don’t want to hurt you.” Matt spins them around and throws Thor to the ground. Thor grunts in surprise and quickly gets up, explaining, “It’s not that I don’t think highly of you. I’m Asgardian and you’re human.”

Matt just says, “Don’t worry about it. I know you want to.” Thor reverses their roles, bringing him back into the choke hold Matt held him in earlier. Matt raises a hand to wipe sweat off his forehead, the other hand trying to pry Thor’s arm off him. Matt jokes, “What are your arms made of, iron? Maybe Stark should make armour out of you.”

“I’m unsure if that’s a compliment,” Thor replies, releasing Matt from his grip and kicking his knees, sending him to the ground. Matt gets back up without even a moment of recovery, grabbing Thor’s hand to support him as he jumps onto Thor’s shoulders. His legs go around Thor’s neck and he brings both of them down. Thor mutters, “You fight very well.”

“My dad was a wrestler,” Matt replies. He punches Thor, who dodges it. “Your dad was a king.”

“I don’t see how that relates,” Thor says, avoiding all of Matt’s hits as the man delivers a series of blows. Some of them manage to make contact with Thor, impressively.

Matt says, “I know you like Peter.”

Thor grabs Matt’s arm, stopping both of them, and he says lowly, “You know not what you speak of.”

Matt runs a finger over Thor’s wrist, right over the ‘PQ’ on it, “I think I do. I can feel the slight raise of his initials on your skin.” Before Thor can say anything in response, Matt gets hold of Thor’s arm and flips him over. Irritated with Matt and his patience long depleted, Thor punches Matt. Matt doesn’t dodge it in time and he collides with the floor. Peter flinches slightly at how hard Matt went down, but he doesn’t make a move to help.

“You okay, Matt?” Peter calls out.

“Just fine,” Matt replies, getting back up.

Thor apologises, “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” Matt delivers an onslaught of punches and kicks Thor’s way. Thor can’t dodge them all, and he ends up getting hit quite a number of times because of the surprise attack. He thought Matt was done sparring. Thor says, “I said I was sorry.”

Matt mutters, “Admit it.”

“I do,” Thor finally mumbles as Matt’s punches begin to slow down. “I like Peter. So what?”

“I just wanted to know,” Matt says simply, stopping. Thor frowns as Matt walks away, taking a white towel from the rack.

“You two looked about ready to kill each other,” Peter laughs, though it’s clear that he’s a little concerned about it.

Thor jokes, shooting Matt a pointed look, “Perhaps so.” He’s sure that the blind fighter knows Thor’s looking at him.

Peter gets up, hanging his towel back on the rack and taking a sip of water, “Okay, my turn. You and me, Thor.” Matt sits down where Peter formerly sat, a neutral look on his face. Thor doesn’t know how Matt’s powers work, but he’s certain he’s “watching” them. Peter smiles, balling his hands into fists, “I’m gonna beat your ass.”

“You’re welcome to try,” Thor grins, easily slipping into a jovial mood with Peter. Peter is just so easy to be around.

Peter and Thor begin to spar, delivering blows to one another. Matt sits quietly, taking his time to remove the muay thai ropes around his hands. At some point, Peter messes up, missing Thor and giving him the chance to pin him against the wall.

Peter exhales heavily, a little out of breath from the fighting, and he mutters, “You’re stronger than I thought.”

Thor stares into Peter’s eyes as he talks. He’s mesmerised — how can one man be so beautiful? An easy smile falls on Peter’s face, and Thor doesn’t miss Peter’s eyes dropping to his lips for a second. With Peter’s wrists against the wall under Thor’s hands, Thor can finally see — a black lightning bolt on his wrist. It wasn’t his imagination the first time he’d seen it. While Thor stares at the lightning bolt, Peter’s attention is taken by the initials on Thor’s wrist. Thor leans in slightly, pausing momentarily to see if Peter is against it. When Peter doesn’t move or say anything, Thor decides to just go for it.

At least, he would have, if Matt hadn’t cleared his throat loudly. The moment instantly becomes awkward and Peter separates from Thor, face burning. Matt asks flatly, “Are you sure you’re training?”

Peter laughs nervously, claiming his water bottle and towel before he leaves the training room. It leaves just Matt and Thor in the room.

“What was that for?” Thor asks, a little bitter about being interrupted.

Matt smiles, taking his towel and ropes, “Can’t make this _too_ easy.”

Thor sighs as he watches Matt leave as well, closing his eyes to remember the way Peter looked.

* * *

“Everyone, I know we have a lot of work to do, but please give me about twenty minutes? Just twenty and we’re back to Thanos,” Tony calls out using the announcement system. 

Thor glances up and says, “I suppose we should go.” He and Quill had been playing Uno — a game Quill played as a child when he was still on Earth that he offered to teach Thor before they ran out of time. Thor found that he liked the game, even more so when Quill is the one he’s playing with. Thor was quick to go see Tony because Quill had just thrown down a +4 card and Thor was eager to abandon the game as to forgo the additional four cards.

“I know what you’re trying to do, but let’s go,” Quill laughs, standing up. He offers a hand to help Thor up. Thor takes it, a warm smile spreading across both their faces. Thor basks a little in the fact that Quill doesn’t make an effort to let go of his hand even when Thor’s up, but when Steve walks past their room, Quill immediately drops his hand. _Why_ _am_ _I_ _always_ _interrupted?_

Everyone in the Compound assembles in the main room, waiting for Tony to arrive. Jessica and Luke were present, so Thor assumes Tony called her to be there.

“I think I know what this is about,” Quill whispers. Thor nods, agreeing — he thinks he knows too. Jessica already said she wouldn’t come back to the Compound until Thanos was back, but he could think of one other reason why she would return.

Stephen enters the main room through a portal — he’d been visiting the Sanctum. Wong waves goodbye on the other side before it shuts in a few orange sparks. He turns to Peter, asking, “What happened?”

Peter replies, pointing, “I don’t know, but I think we’re about to find out.” He’s pointing to Tony, who walks into the main room in a nice suit, hands behind his back. Stephen’s eyes widen, an idea of what’s going to happen hitting him.

Tony stops in front of Stephen, saying, “I know I already asked you, but I think I should ask properly.”

“Tony, you...”

“Yes, I’m proposing again. _Properly_ ,” Tony says, getting down on one knee. Peter breaks into a grin instantly and so does Jessica. Everyone is smiling, all spare Steve, who can only muster a plastic grin. He’s happy that Tony is going to be a married man soon despite the oncoming battle, but he can’t help but feel that he’s let Bucky down and his punishment is to watch everyone else move on.

Stephen smiles widely, a sight most of the heroes have never seen, and Tony continues, “Stephen, I remember just after a few weeks of meeting me, you began to cough up blue butterflies. It freaked me out, I’m not gonna lie.” Jessica and Peter, the only others who were aware of Stephen’s Hanahaki, laugh. The ones who didn’t know about it give Stephen concerned looks that he waves off. Tony beams, going on, “But you already know that. And, you know, it _did_ push us together, so maybe it’s like a blessing in disguise, or something like that.”

“Ask him already!” Rhodey calls out jokingly. Some laugh at his outburst, and Tony shoos him away playfully before turning his attention back to Stephen.

“I know we’ve got Thanos to handle, but right now, this very moment, I cannot ask for anything better. My kid, my boyfriend, my friends, people I consider family...” Tony says, looking around the room. Smiles are returned to him, eagerly waiting for Tony to just ask already. Tony continues, “You are all here with me and that’s pretty amazing. The fact that I have the _opportunity_ to ask Stephen this question is pretty God damn amazing.”

Thor directs his grin to Quill for a moment before he looks back at Tony and Stephen. He doesn’t notice Quill stare at him after he looks away.

Peter can barely contain his excitement and Tony can see that. He laughs, taking his hands out from behind his back to reveal a small velvet box, “It’s custom-made. _Very_ _expensive_. You know me.”

Stephen rolls his eyes, though he grins, “I _do_ know you. You never go small.”

Tony opens the box, and some of the heroes closer to the couple gasp. It’s a very stunning ring. It shimmers gorgeously in the light, and it kind of looks like a mix of Tony’s arc reactor and the Eye of Agamotto. It’s a diamond, faintly resembling the arc reactor, with gold lining over it like the Eye. He asks, “You like it?”

“Just ask me the question already,” Stephen replies, grinning.

“Stephen Vincent Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts, Expert of Neuroscience, the hottest sorcerer alive, the —“ Tony starts listing. Some people begin to groan jokingly and Tony laughs, shaking his head. He holds up the velvet box, opened, to Stephen and finishes, “Stephen Strange, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Stephen answers happily, letting Tony slip the ring onto his finger. Everyone begins to cheer, especially Pepper, Rhodey, Jessica and Peter who immediately go closer to congratulate them.

Steve congratulates them weakly. He swears he can hear Bucky chuckle behind him, saying, “Hey, Stevie, when are you gonna ask me? It’s been almost eighty years now, hasn’t it? What are you waiting for?”

Thor looks to Quill, smiling, “They’re very lovely together.”

Quill returns his expression, an easy laugh escaping him, “I made their mixtape. I’m gonna ask if I can make their wedding playlist after Thanos is dead.”

Thor replies, “I know you made it. It was really nice of you.”

Quill says, “You’re really nice in general.”

Thor can’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

* * *

Tony assembles the Avengers into a small conference room later that day. He has Steve, Bruce, Clint, Wanda, Natasha, Sam, Rhodey and Thor present. It’s to come to a decision, and he’d prefer if only these particular individuals were aware of it as the others didn’t know Vision well or at all.

Tony points to Past Loki’s sceptre, resting on the table between all of them, and says, “Our big question today: What do we do with this? Do we keep the Stone or bring Vision back?”

“We have to get Vision back. He would be a big help in the fight,” Steve immediately says. His answer has been obvious from the beginning, Tony didn’t even need to ask to know. He invited him to the discussion just for the formalities.

“My personal vote is it goes into the gauntlet. I love Vision, I do, but this is more important. Thanos is more important. We can rebuild him after this is all over,” Tony says.

Wanda insists, “No, bringing Vis back would be the best choice... His abilities can help us when we fight Thanos.”

“No offence, but he wasn’t much help when Thanos was after him,” Bruce shrugs. Wanda’s face at his statement forces Tony to keep a laugh in. The situation is too serious for him to chuckle at her reaction, but he just really loves Bruce.

Steve says, “Fine, all who want the Mind Stone in the gauntlet, hands up. Those who want the Mind Stone in Vision, hands down.” Natasha, Bruce, Rhodey, Tony, Sam, Thor and Clint’s hands go up while Steve and Wanda’s remain down.

Natasha starts, “Look, we all like Vision.”

“ _I_ don’t,” Clint mutters. “He beat me up once.”

“Yeah, we all wish we could beat you up once,” Tony sasses. Clint shuts up instantly.

Natasha continues, “Most of us like Vision and we agree that he would be very helpful against Thanos. But it is a fact that he needs a Stone that we need... It’s one guy for the rest of the world. I don’t think it’s a contest what choice should be made.”

Steve mumbles, “‘Cause what’s one more life lost to Thanos, right?”

Tony says, “Steve, listen. I get it. I get that you’re upset about Barnes. Guilty, pained, sad... Believe me, if I could, I would bring him back. We can’t. You made the decision because you knew it would be for the greater good. I’m sorry, but we have to give Vision up too.”

Steve nods slowly, and Sam offers, “If it’s any comfort... Vision won’t know.”

The Avengers came to the conclusion to not revive Vision, and the Mind Stone goes straight into the gauntlet.

* * *

“We need to get the Power and Reality Stones. Who’s up?” Tony asks once every hero in the Compound is assembled. “T’Challa and Shuri won’t be assisting until the final fight, so the Wakandans are out. Jess said space is way past her threshold, so she’s out too. Peter, you’re sitting out of this one, I’m not letting you go to space again. Leaves just the people here. The Stones are both likely in space. Who wants to go find them?”

“We can go,” Quill offers. “We know space like the back of our hands. We’ve handled the Power Stone before.”

“I heard,” Tony nods. “Just don’t almost-die this time and you six can go.” Nobody comments on the fact that it’s no longer seven.

Thor immediately volunteers, “I can assist them as well, in case we encounter Thanos.”

Matt turns to Thor’s direction but says nothing. He knows space isn’t his scene. It’s a foreign environment — gravity, people, abilities, constructs that are beyond what his senses can help him navigate through. He would be nothing more but a hindrance until he gets his bearings, and who knows how long that will take.

Tony nods again, “Okay, the Guardians and Thor will get the Power Stone.”

Rocket says, “Groot’s staying with you guys. I’m not letting this teenage asshole come with us if Thanos might be there.” Groot doesn’t argue for once.

Carol takes over, “Volunteers to come with me and Banner to get the Reality Stone?” Stephen and Tony volunteer, while the others agree to stay behind to keep watch over the Compound in case Thanos decides to attack without them around. Thor, Tony and Steve have some communicative devices Tony and Shuri developed together that can keep them all connected despite being very far from one another.

Matt bids Quill good luck and goodbye before Quill leaves with Thor and the Guardians. Rocket leads them to their ship, upgraded a little by Rocket and Tony. Quill marvels at the improvisations to its arsenal and defence mechanisms. Plus, Tony took the liberty of improving the ship’s sound system. Quill can access every song in existence with the upgraded music player. The cassette player still remains though, since Tony decided that it should stay.

“Tell Stark I love him for this,” Quill says, sitting down in one of the pilot seats.

Rocket rolls his eyes, taking the other pilot seat, “Yeah, yeah. I worked on it too, y’know.”

* * *

When the ship’s course is set and the ship is on autopilot, Peter leaves his seat to get some snacks, hungry. He sees that Thor is already raiding their fridge, and he has a flashback to the first time Thor was on their ship.

“Hey, what are you eating?” Peter asks, reaching past Thor to get anything to eat.

Thor raises the bag of nuts, “Drax recommended these. They taste quite good.”

Peter laughs, taking out a bag of regular chips he’d taken from the Compound, “Space food beats Earth food. Usually.”

They settle into a comfortable silence, eating their snacks in peace, until Thor says, “We should talk about our marks...”

“Hey, what does that axe of yours do?” Peter instantly dodges the question.

Thor frowns at Peter’s fast deflection of his question, and instead tries, “It possesses much of the same properties as Mjölnir. How are things between you and the most daring of devils?”

“Most daring of devils... What, me and Matt?” Peter asks, raising an eyebrow. Thor nods, and Peter shakes his head, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s nothing. I’m not interested.”

“I have seen the way you act around each other,” Thor says.

Peter glances around, making sure the other Guardians aren’t near, before he mutters, “Look, Matt’s nice, but he and I could never make it work. We’re just a little too different. Plus, I’m not staying on Earth long after we’re done with Thanos. First thing after it ends, I’m going back to space. Long distance never works well.” Thor nods sympathetically. He knows about long-distance relationships failing. Despite that, he finds himself trying to suppress the relief bubbling in him at the confirmation that Peter isn’t that into Matt as Peter continues, “Either way... I shouldn’t be feeling anything for men. I’ve had kids tell me I should die because they thought I liked guys. I mean, I do, but it just sucks. It’s why I hate Earth.”

“Do the Guardians not know of... you?” Thor asks.

Peter nods, “None of them know. The only ones who know about me are you, Strange, Stark and Matt.”

“Peter, I know not if this helps, but you are not wrong to like men,” Thor says. “Attraction is just what it is, love is what it is. There are no rules when it comes to it. You are welcome to like whoever you desire. There is nothing wrong.”

Peter mumbles, “If there wasn’t anything wrong, those kids wouldn’t have shoves me into the dirt for liking boys on the school playground.”

Thor replies, “It seems like even years after abandoning Earth, its customs still follow you, even the worst of them. Many years ago, when I visited Earth for the first time, I saw on the Internet, a young boy had ended his life over other children bullying him about who he likes. It’s when I learned that even Midgardian children can be so cruel.” Peter glances at him, listening, and Thor continues, “They bully others for being different when there is nothing wrong with it. Peter, there is nothing wrong with you. Like whoever you want to like. Nobody controls you.”

“Don’t I know it,” Peter replies, a smile growing on his face.

“Don’t you know it,” Thor grins in response.

“Thanks, Thor,” Peter says sincerely. “I wish someone told younger me all that.”

Thor dares himself to moving forward to touch Peter’s hand with his own, saying, “As long as you know it now, I am glad.”

Peter leans in a little, caught in the moment, and Thor copies. But with an inch between them, Rocket’s voice interrupts them, “Hey, we’re here!” Thor cusses inwardly as Peter moves away, not unlike the way he did so during the training session. He likes Peter so much and yet he is always cut off. Either way, Thor has bigger problems now — the Power Stone.


	7. i’ll be stuck fixated on one star when the world is crashing down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments appreciated!
> 
> and i know it’s again, unrealistic, but i need to develop them ugh

“We have arrived,” Mantis says, when Peter and Thor return to the cockpit upon Rocket’s call.

“Alright, do we have a plan?” Thor asks, looking around for an answer.

Peter replies, activating his mask, “Find the Stone, put it in that container Rocket has and then we go. We’re not gonna stay here longer than we have to, on the off chance Thanos comes here to find the Stone.” Thor nods, giving Peter a somewhat reassuring smile. He hopes Peter’s plan works, no matter how flimsy it is. Thor can admit that Peter and his Guardians are terrible with plans. They don’t plan for contingencies, they improvise their every move, and yet it somehow works.

So Thor shoots Peter a smile. Peter returns it as he grabs his elemental guns.

“If you two lovebirds are done flirting, we have a Stone to find,” Rocket snaps, taking hold of his own bulky gun. He shoves the holder for the Stone to Peter as he walks past them. Peter’s face flushes, and he doesn’t say another word to Thor as he and Nebula follow Rocket out of the Milano.

“Lovebirds? But neither you nor Quill are birds. Or in love,” Drax comments from behind Thor.

“Or do you two love birds?” Mantis inquires innocently. She still doesn’t know what a bird is.

Thor shakes his head, “I know not of the nature of me and Peter’s relationship... I wish I did.” Drax pats Thor’s back before he, too, leaves the ship. Mantis tentatively touches Thor’s arm and he lets her, both of them walking off the ship. He notices her antennae glow brightly when her hand presses against Thor’s arm.

“You’re in love,” Mantis says quietly when she removes her hand. “With Peter.”

“I suppose I am,” Thor sighs, watching Peter activate his boots’ jets and flying off.

Mantis asks, falling into step with Thor, “How long?” It seems like Mantis doesn’t want to explore the planet alone and has decided to accompany Thor. He doesn’t mind, he actually likes the peaceful aura around her.

“Some time in the past five years. I cannot give you a specific time... Falling in love with him felt so...” Thor trails off, trying to find the word.

“Normal?” Mantis guesses.

Thor nods, “Normal. Like it’s just something I did that I didn’t even realise. I didn’t even notice that I was thinking about him all the time until Rocket pointed it out.”

“And what’s this?” Mantis asks, lifting Thor’s wrist and pointing to the initials.

“Us Asgardian royalty have something you can call soul marks. We have our soulmate’s initials on our wrists. Peter is supposed to be my soul mate. If he wishes to be so,” Thor answers. He shoves a structure aside to look for the Stone as he does.

Mantis questions curiously, “Does Peter have such marks as well?”

“Yes,” Thor replies. “I believe I am his.”

“But does Peter like men?” Mantis asks finally.

Thor doesn’t even hesitate to answer, “You would have to ask him.” Sure, he’d gotten verbal confirmation from Peter just five minutes before that he did like men, but it still wasn’t his place to tell Mantis about his private matters. Mantis nods, deciding to stop asking about Peter.

“God man!” Drax shouts. Thor and Mantis immediately run over, only to see Peter fly past them, colliding with the ground as his mask breaks off, guns falling out of grip. Nebula is smacked into a structure and Drax crashes down soon after. Thor realises that they have been graced with the company of none other than Thanos, a new gauntlet on one hand and a sword in the other. He dons new golden armour. Thor notices the Power and Reality Stones are already in his possession.

“Are you okay?” Thor asks, helping Peter up. Mantis does the same with Mantis and Drax gets up himself.

Peter nods, reactivating his mask, “Yeah, thanks. Bastard ambushed us.”

“Thor Odinson,” Thanos greets. “And Quill with his band of idiots.”

Thor can’t see Peter’s face, but he’s sure that if looks could kill, Thanos would be in hell.

“You killed Gamora!” Peter shouts, anger clear in the tremble of his voice. Mantis lowers her head, sorrowful over their dead friend. It’s obvious that Mantis has been trying to suppress the fact that Gamora is gone ever since her return from the Soul Stone. Drax readies his blades and Nebula’s hands curl into fists.

“I had no choice,” Thanos replies.

“You had a choice! You just didn’t care!” Peter shouts, flying right at Thanos. Drax and Nebula jump into action when Peter does. Thor grips Stormbreaker, his eyes glowing bright with lightning, as he charges at Thanos. Mantis moves around, trying to find a spot for her to touch Thanos to pull him under like she did back on Titan.

“You will pay for what you did,” Nebula says darkly, her own sword in hand to stab Thanos. He easily dodges, grabbing her metal arm and crushing her hand. Nebula forces her hand out of Thanos’ and moves away, trying to fix her hand back to return to combat. Drax attacks Thanos with his knives as Peter blasts at him, flying around him to dodge Thanos’ fists. With the Guardians all around Thanos, Thor can’t ‘aim for the head’ like Thanos advised five years ago, so he settles for simply attacking. Thor calls on his lightning and blasts at Thanos, who uses the Power Stone to redirect it at Peter and Drax. Both of them fall onto the ground, knocked out by the powerful lightning.

Nebula tries her best to fight with only one usable arm, but it proves futile when she’s unable to reach her full strength. Thor kind of freaks out about the fact that his own lightning was used against Peter and his friends. Mantis finds an opening and places both hands on Thanos leg, her antennae glowing. Thanos realises what she’s trying to do and knocks her out with one fist. Drax slowly gets back up, trying to reorient himself to join the fight again, but Peter remains unconscious. Being human and no longer possessing his Celestial powers, the lightning swiftly took him out. Mantis is out as well. Nebula forces herself to keep going despite being held back by her damaged arm.

Drax and Nebula jump at him, but Thanos uses the Power Stone to affect them and they crash onto the ground, officially out of the fight. It leaves just Thor, now alone in the battle. Thor knows he won’t be able to take Thanos on his own. He wasn’t able to back on his ship with the help of Asgardians, Heimdall, Loki and Hulk, and Thanos only had one Stone. Now he only has four other fighters and a two-stoned Thanos. The odds are clear.

Thanos activates the Reality Stone and their surroundings shift. Peter, Nebula, Mantis and Drax are lost in the illusion and Thor glances around, trying to relocate them.

“They are still here,” Thanos says, seeming to know what Thor is thinking.

“What do you want?” Thor asks, resentment lacing every word.

Thanos smiles, small and knowing, “It may be more of what _you_ want.”

The surroundings materialise as the red sparks fade away. They’re on a version of the same planet where the structures are actual establishments. Citizens walk past them like it’s any regular day. Thor demands, “Tell me what you’re doing.”

“Patience, Asgardian,” Thanos says.

Thor hears Peter’s voice call out, “Thor!” Thor’s attention immediately forces him to look for the source of the voice. He sees Loki and the Guardians — including Gamora — at the Milano’s doorway. Peter waves to him, a bright smile on his face when Thor finally looks over at him.

“Peter,” Thor exhales. Even in an illusion, Peter still looks beautiful.

“I love you!” Peter shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice. He laughs when the three words leave his lips. Thor tries to swallow the lump in his throat when he hears the three words.

Loki elbows Peter, a teasing smile on his face, and he says, “I don’t think my brother heard you.” Peter rolls his eyes fondly.

He shouts once more, a little louder than the first time, “Thor! I love you!”

Thor feels his chest constrict, heart aching. He knows this isn’t real.

“Is that not what you desire?” Thanos asks.

“What are you trying to do?” Thor asks, still staring at Illusion Peter. He’s trying to look away but he just can’t.

“I can make this your reality,” Thanos begins. “All you have to do is join my Black Order.”

Thor scoffs, “You think too little of me. I’ll do no such thing.”

“But this could all be yours. The brother you lost, the people you have decided are your family,” Thanos says, gesturing to them. “The one you love most.”

Thor doesn’t hesitate to reply, “Death is what it is. If my brother is lost, there’s little I can do but to avenge him. These people shall be my ‘family’ if they wish it so. Likewise, Peter... Peter can be whoever he would like to be. I will accept it without argument.”

“But he is yours, no? You’re Asgardian royalty, you have a wrist mark that says he is yours,” Thanos states, eyeing his wrist. He’s trying everything to get Thor to join his side against everyone, against Peter.

“He does not belong to me,” Thor says. “He belongs to nobody. He will make his own choices. And if this —“ Thor sweeps an arm to the familial display at the Milano. “— is not what he wants, then it is fine with me. I will not argue. Because no matter what this mark, his initials on my skin, may say, it does not command him. Neither do I.”

Thanos frowns, the illusion disappearing in red sparks upon his gauntlet curling into a fist. He’s clearly put off by Thor’s unexpected selflessness, considering how selfish he was last they met. When he’d plunged the Stormbreaker into his chest to make his death slow and ended up aiding the decimation of half the universe. He’d been selfish then, what changed?

“What changed?” Thanos asks unconsciously. “What has made you so selfless? You get nothing for your efforts. The very people you save criticise your every move in tabloids and newspapers. The people you fight alongside will turn their backs on you if they disagree with you. None of this matters. Reality is often disappointing. I offer you a chance to have a reality you would desire, and yet you reject it. Why do you decline a reality you want?”

Thanos conjures up another Peter illusion. This time, Peter is standing in front of him, staring at Thor like he’s the whole world and the galaxy around them. Thor stares back, caught up in the illusion, and Peter says once more, “I love you more than anything.”

“Because I know it’s not real,” Thor answers, his grip on Stormbreaker tightening. He ignores Illusion Peter, turning to face Thanos instead. “No matter what reality you show me, what reality you shove me into, it is not real. The Loki that will be by my side is not really my brother. The Guardians that welcome me back whenever I return are not really my family.” Thor pauses before he adds on, “The Peter Quill that tells me he loves me is not really my Peter Quill. I’d rather live in this reality, where he loves me not, than fool myself with another one of your tricks.”

“Thor? Say it back?” Illusion Peter asks from behind him.

Thanos mutters, “Last chance to change your mind.” Thor turns back around to look at Illusion Peter, beaming at him brightly. This Peter is in love with him the way Thor had wanted him to be. But no matter how badly Thor wants it so, he knows this isn’t real.

Thor replies quietly, “No, Peter. I cannot.”

Illusion Peter stares at Thor, dumbfounded, before he just nods, grinning uncharacteristically, “Okay.” He waves goodbye as he fades away in red sparks, Thanos sending the illusion away.

Thanos finally drops the façade of amicability. Now he looks disappointed. He says, “I did not expect this from you, Asgardian. You’ve gone soft... For an outlaw, no less. I would think a king like you would have higher standards.” He’s provoking him, Thor knows it. When Thor doesn’t say anything, Thanos continues, “A man arrested countless times for crimes, sleeps around the galaxy because he has nothing better to do. Hides behind a ridiculous stage name. Most likely answered your distress call in the hopes of a reward. Shallow, easy, dishonest, self-obsessed, criminal, idiot...” Thor’s knuckles are white, and Thanos revels in that as he finishes, “And yet... you choose to love him.”

“Because, deep down, I know he is good. You will never make me turn on him, and I will never join you,” Thor says, eyes beginning to light up dangerously with lightning.

“Impressive,” Thanos says, beginning to shift into a more battle-ready stance.

As Thor raises his Stormbreaker, summoning lightning to aid him in his battle alone, he hears Peter getting up, finally recovering from the huge hit he took from Thor earlier. Peter activates his helmet once more, retrieving his guns as he takes his place next to Thor, ready to fight. Thanos barely scoffs.

“Quill, coming back for more,” Thanos asks, raising his gauntlet toward them.

Peter fires at him without answering, and Thor follows his example by blasting lightning towards Thanos as well. Thanos curls his gauntlet into a fist, activating the Power Stone towards them. It blasts them and their attacks backwards, not injuring Thanos. Thanos begins to blow up the planet as he backs up into the ship he arrived in.

“I’m disappointed,” Thanos says to Thor as the Asgardian gets up. “I expected more of you. But I suppose I will have to kill you like everyone else.”

Before Thor can get Stormbreaker to go after him, Thanos is back in his ship and already flying off. Thor can feel the ground shaking beneath him and he gets moving, helping Peter up.

“Did we lose again? Come on...” Peter mutters, looking around for Thanos.

“Unfortunately, because he has two Stones,” Thor frowns, leaving Peter to help Mantis as Peter moves towards Drax. “We need to leave now, he’s blowing up the planet.”

They manage to get into the ship and fly off just in time before the planet blows up in purple light.

* * *

When they get back to Earth, the Reality team is already back, obviously without a Stone. Tony says he’ll come up with another plan by the next day, saying that he needs to complete a side project before Thanos comes back. He does call for Stephen, Carol and whoever is available to stay with Hulk just in case Thanos comes for the other Stones before Tony’s done with his secret project.

Carol, Stephen, Thor, Peter and Jessica decide to stay with Hulk while everyone else agreed to switch for shifts after a few hours. Jessica decided to return since Thanos’ arrival will be any day now. Tony retreats to his workshop alone. Peter asks Tony about where Matt is when he doesn’t see the man around. Tony tells him that Matt is out with Danny Rand on an errand in Hell’s Kitchen. Or, at least, an errand is what Tony thinks he’s out on. Peter doesn’t bother to think about what Tony’s suspecting Matt is with Danny for.

“So... Thanos has two Stones,” Stephen asks to try to start conversation.

“Shitty, I know,” Peter rolls his eyes.

Carol says, “We should try to use this time to come up with ideas on what to do, maybe help Tony out?”

Stephen pipes up, frowning, “Speaking of Tony, I’ve wanted to ask. Anyone know what Tony’s side project is? He refuses to show me, and when I’m in the workshop, I can’t find anything about it. It’s beginning to worry me.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine... I hope,” Jessica replies. “If it’s anything he should’ve told you about first, I’ll be glad to beat his ass.”

Stephen replies flatly, “If I don’t beat his ass first. It better not be anything bad.”

“Maybe it’s new armour,” Thor suggests.

* * *

Thor thinks his guess may be right when he goes down to the workshop to check on Tony. Stephen would have gone, but he needed to return to the Sanctum at Wong’s call, so Thor goes instead. When he knocks on the door, Tony messes up the blueprints and stands in front of whatever he’s doing.

“Are you okay?” Thor asks, trying to peek behind Tony.

“Fine,” Tony answers. “I think I need your help with something.”

Thor replies, “Anything at all. What do you require?”

“I need some new tools, kind of broke some of mine on my project,” Tony says sheepishly, showing Thor some of his broken tools. “I’ll write a list for you, if you’ll be kind enough to help me go to the store to get them for me. I’ll give you the money. I promise this project is important.”

“I could go, but what is so important?” Thor asks.

“If I tell you, you’ll tell Steph, and I only wanna cross that bridge when I come to it,” Tony replies. “Just help me?”

Thor relents, nodding, “Fine. Would it be okay if I asked Peter to come along?”

“Hm? Oh sure, I think the kid would love to go with you,” Tony answers, beginning to turn back to the table.

“I meant Quill.”

Tony stops, looking back at Thor, “Oh. Yeah, I think that’ll be good. He hasn’t been on Earth for a long time, right? Show him around or something.” 

* * *

That’s how Thor ends up with a list of tools and Peter Quill by his side.

“ _This_ is Earth?”

“This is Earth,” Thor replies. He doesn’t really know how to explain it. It’s somewhat still in the midst of rebuilding, even five years from the snap.

Peter frowns, looking around and taking in the sights, “Everything looks bigger yet smaller.” Thor laughs, nodding. They’re on their way to the department store Tony indicated for them. Peter asks, “Have you been here much?”

“A few times, but I don’t really explore,” Thor replies, making a turn. Peter follows closely, taking the list from Thor’s hand to look it over.

“I don’t get this. Space tech is so much easier. You can have one tool and it’ll do the same thing at least five of these do,” Peter complains, returning the list.

Thor says, “I take it that there is no chance of you staying on Earth after we take down Thanos.”

“No chance. I hate it here, I think I already told you,” Peter replies.

Thor takes the opportunity to say, “I don’t believe bullying is the only reason you refused to come back.” Peter finally shuts up at that. Thor is about to take back his words when Peter speaks up.

“Yeah. I didn’t come back because... What’s the point in living on the planet my mom died on? I loved her more than anything. I dare say she was the only person I loved more than myself. The mixtapes she left me, I love them more than money. I’m willing to give away everything I’ve stolen if it means I get to keep the music,” Peter spills out, deciding to tell Thor everything. “I love my mom. She’s beautiful and kind and good... and she deserved more than she had. She deserved to love a guy who would stick around, not some asshole who gave her cancer for his own reasons. She deserved to live a good, long life. She deserved a better son than me.”

“I’m truly sorry,” Thor says sincerely. “She sounds like an amazing mother.”

“She is,” Peter nods. They make another turn and Peter continues, “She cared about me more than anyone did. I know my relatives thought I was a bad kid. I always got into fights at school, even if they were for good reasons. I never was a straight A kid. But she always told me I was a good kid and that she believed I was gonna grow up to be incredible.” He sighs heavily, wiping at his eyes, “And, yeah. I’m sure she’s still looking out for me.”

Thor has a flashback to the young blonde woman he’d seen in the dying star.

“Would she happen to have blue eyes and blonde hair?” Thor asks.

Peter looks up, face blank, “Huh? Yeah, she does. How’d you know? I’m pretty sure I don’t have any photos of her on the Milano or in the Compound.”

“Wild guess,” Thor lies. “Did she call you Star-Lord?”

“It’s why I call myself that,” Peter smiles sadly. “I thought, if everyone in my life called me that, it would be like hearing my mom calling me that again. She always said I was her Star-Lord.”

Thor says, bumping shoulders lightly with him, “If you would like, I will call you that. Star-Lord.”

Peter grins, mood lifted slightly, “Thanks, Thor. You always get me.” They stop in front of the store and enter, Thor passing the list to the assistant so he can help them pick out what they need. Peter asks, “How was your family?”

“My mother is kind, just like yours,” Thor replies, watching the assistant rifling through shelves to find the tools on the list. “My father was biased to me, against my brother. Looking back, I do understand why Loki may not have liked him so much. And my brother... No matter how much wrong he has done, I can never hate him. I regret telling him he was the worst before he died. I can never take that back.”

Peter places a comforting hand on Thor’s back, saying, “I’m sure he knows you love him. I mean, you’re doing everything you can to find Thanos to avenge him. He has to know.”

“Sometimes it feels like there is no point,” Thor replies. “Especially after we failed in retrieving the Power Stone.”

“You just need a little faith, I guess. I believe we’ll get that son of a bitch,” Peter says, giving Thor an encouraging smile. The cashier brings the tools to the counter and Thor pays him with the money Tony gave him, taking the bag of equipment with him as the two of them leave the store.

Thor asks, “Do you feel like going back now?”

“Not really,” Peter answers frankly. Thor nods towards the park, and Peter catches on, smiling, “Can we?”

“Anything you want,” Thor says in response, and the two make their way to the nearby park. Thor’s sure Tony can wait a little longer for his tools. They’ll just stay for maybe five minutes then head back.

“Wow, the playgrounds look way tiny,” Peter chuckles. It’s empty like most of the city, a view neither are used to, but neither want to bring it up and dampen the mood further than their earlier talk. Peter asks, going over to sit on one of the benches, “Did Asgard have playgrounds?”

“No,” Thor answers, sitting next to him. “I suppose I have been missing out.”

“Big time,” Peter grins, looking toward the playground. “I wanted to ask if you were up to try some of the stuff here, but I think we’re too big for it.”

Thor smiles, “I think I’m fine sitting here with you. I’m not missing out.”

Peter turns to face Thor, surprised, “You’d rather sit with me than play at a playground?”

“I’d rather sit with you than do most things,” Thor answers honestly.

“I think we should talk about... the marks...” Peter says hesitantly, pulling back his sleeve to reveal the black lightning bolt. Thor lifts the sleeve of his grey hoodie to show the ‘PQ’ on it. When Peter’s eyes widen at it, finally seeing confirmation that Thor has him as his soulmate, Thor brings a hand over Peter’s wrist and covers the mark, bringing his sleeve down to cover his own. Peter asks, “What are you doing? We need to talk about it.”

Thor replies, “And we are. Peter, I don’t care what it says on my skin. I really... I like being around you. I think you’re incredible, and as good as your mother. I like how much you love your music. I like how much you love your mother and your family, and I mean the Guardians.” Peter blinks, trying to process Thor’s confession, as Thor continues, “I like everything I know about you, and I do wish to get to know you even better after Thanos is gone. But right now, I really do like you. Mantis already knows this, but—“

“I think I’m in love with you,” Peter interrupts nervously. It’s Thor’s turn to be rendered speechless, and Peter adds quickly, “And not because you said all that. I just think you’re so fucking cool. You’re like the greatest person in the whole galaxy, and I can say that with confidence because you know I’ve already been to the ass end of it. I’ve seen it all. You being hot as hell is definitely a bonus.”

Thor laughs, out of relief and his nerves. He hasn’t felt this way in so long. He dared say he felt more strongly than when he was with Jane Foster.

“I feel the same...” Thor says, beginning to lean in. Peter follows, moving closer, but before their lips can touch, Thor’s phone rings. Thor inwardly curses Tony for giving him a phone, then he curses Steve for being the one to call them. Peter withdraws, his face almost as red as his jacket, and Thor answers the call, “Rogers, what do you want?”

“Uh, Tony asked me to tell you he wants his tools now,” Steve says. “You sound mad. Did I interrupt something?”

Thor doesn’t even bother to answer, hanging up. Peter and Thor don’t talk for the rest of the way back, but their cheeks are rosy with affection.

* * *

Loki doesn’t know where he is. After Thanos had snapped his neck, he’d been alive for just a few more moments before death caught up and dragged him under. He saw the metal pieces fall off Thor as Thanos and the Black Order teleported away. Before he died, he felt Thor’s hand fall on his chest heavily. He can feel everything in just that one touch — his regret, his guilt, his agony. Loki died right then.

Or so he thought. He must be in the middle ground. His soul hasn’t yet passed the threshold, as it seems. He notices a familiar figure make its way to him and longing washes over him as her identity becomes clear.

“Mother?” Loki calls out carefully.

“My son,” she smiles, cupping his face with her hands gently. “Loki.”

Loki glances around, a hand moving to rest on one of Frigga’s as he says, “I’m sorry for everything.”

Frigga simply smiles, “It doesn’t matter now. Oh, I have missed you. Is your brother well?”

Loki nods, “Thor’s good. Mother... Thanos killed me, and I fear that my brother will do unspeakably mindless things and get himself in trouble. More so than usual.”

Frigga grins again, but this time it’s sad, and she says, “It’s not your time yet and you know this to be true. Your brother still needs your help.” Loki is about to say something when Frigga continues, “You need to go home. I will be here to get you when your time comes. But now is not it. Thor needs you.”

“But Mother...” Loki begins to protest.

She cuts him off, soft, “You must go.” Loki nods. He has to go back. Frigga sends him off with a smile and one more hug.

Then he finds himself on Earth, somehow five years after his death, right in front of the Avengers Compound. Alive.


	8. in saying you love me (made things harder at best)

In hindsight, maybe Tony should have asked someone to keep Stephen busy. Maybe he wouldn’t be in this situation.

Stephen drops the cup in his hands, and it’s not because of the tremors in his fingers. Tony winces a little when the glass shatters against the floor. The ring on Stephen’s fingers shines as if mocking him.

“What are you doing?” Stephen finally asks when he overcomes the shock of what he’s seeing. Tony’s in a pretty compromising situation. No, he isn’t in bed with someone else — he could never do that to Stephen — but it’s probably just as bad.

“Honey, you may want to sit down,” Tony says, stepping off the platform. It’s complete.

Stephen shakes his head, backing away when Tony walks to him, saying, “No. What the hell is this?” Tony takes a deep breath — no backing out now. He’s been caught.

“It’s new armour,” Tony says.

Stephen’s eyes narrow, “Elaborate.”

Tony begins to list all the pros of the new armour, hoping that it calms Stephen down, “It’s a new way of implementing it. It’s for everyone’s safety. Yours and Peter’s, especially. I —“

“ _Elaborate_ ,” Stephen interrupts, tone icy. “What. The _hell_. Is this?”

Tony sighs, turning back to his worktable and reorganising the blueprints. He puts them one over the other, the end result being a complete blueprint. He hands the stack over to Stephen who looks it over before glaring up at Tony.

“Do _not_ tell me you —“

“I put it in my bones,” Tony replies timidly. _Timidly_? Tony doesn’t do timid. He’s confident. But the ring on Stephen’s finger and the way his warm eyes instantly turn icy makes him timid. Stephen sets the blueprints down on the nearest table, rubbing his face silently, and Tony starts, “Steph, I know you’re mad.”

“I’m more than mad. You should have asked me. You’re putting _metal_ into your _bones_!” Stephen explodes.

Tony defends himself, “You weren’t here when I started making the armour. Even if I wanted to ask you first, I couldn’t.”

“You could have talked to literally anyone else. Rhodey, Pepper, Jessica, Banner, Thor. Hell, I’ll bet even _Rogers_ would have good judgment on this,” Stephen lists. Tony can feel Stephen’s anger rising. He really needs to get him to calm down. He really should have asked someone to keep him occupied.

“It’s just a part of me,” Tony tries. “It’s to protect you. I don’t want to be caught in a situation where my armour isn’t with me. Pepper complained about the arc reactor and, I’ll admit, I don’t need it anymore. So why not get rid of that and work on a better way? It’s not that different from your hands.”

“That’s exactly why I’m mad,” Stephen says, finally not as explosive as minutes before. Tony stares at him wordlessly as Stephen continues, “I’m mad because you’re doing to yourself what I wish never happened to me. I can protect myself, Tony, and so can Peter. You don’t have to do these kinds of things to yourself. Metal in your bones? That’s crazy.”

“I’m sorry, Stephen,” Tony says. “You’re right. I didn’t think you would mind because of your hands, but... I didn’t realise it was still a sensitive topic for you.”

“I would be sure it’s still sensitive. I did go back to make sure my hands were destroyed,” Stephen replies flatly.

Tony nods before saying, “But I can’t go back anyway. It’s in me now.”

“Can I see?” Stephen asks. His voice is quiet, likely just suppressed irritation, but Tony will take it over Stephen exploding.

Tony activates the armour, and Stephen watches as the red and gold crawls over his skin. It’s not unlike his nanotech armour, just that there’s no arc reactor to store the nanotech. It wraps around him smoothly with a chrome finish. Tony doesn’t summon up a mask, leaving his face exposed to Stephen. The rest of him is armoured.

“This is it,” Tony says. “The mask itself has a special something. The mask’s graphene, a transparent but powerful metal.”

Stephen doesn’t say anything for a while, just looking Tony and his armour over, before he asks, “Peter doesn’t know, right?”

“No,” Tony answers.

“And I assume you want me to keep this from him,” Stephen says.

Tony replies, the armour retracting, “I’d like if you’d keep it from everyone. But especially Peter. He...” Tony sighs, thinking about his adoptive son, “He’s not doing so well. The Soul Stone’s affected him. He insists he still wants to help us with Thanos, though. I’ve been using the B.A.R.F tech to help. It’s, well... It’s helping, but there isn’t enough time to really help him get over it. He’s good enough to fight, but I’d rather not have this” he gestures to himself “affect him even more.”

“I understand,” Stephen nods. “I’ll keep this secret for you, but you better tell everyone yourself when you do.”

“Thank you. I love you,” Tony says, relieved.

Stephen sighs, saying, “I love you too.”

* * *

Tony calls for a meeting, a plan in tow, and everyone makes their way to the conference room so Tony can run it by them. Thor takes a seat, considerably early since he was near the room. When Peter Quill and the Guardians walk in, he automatically takes the empty space next to Thor at the table, Rocket sitting on Peter’s left and Thor on Peter’s right. 

“Hi, Thor,” Peter greets, a sweet smile on his face.

“Hey,” Thor replies, grinning back.

“I’m gonna be sick,” Rocket groans, rolling his eyes. Peter elbows him. Rocket asks, “What? You two have been dancing this dance for way too long. Make up your minds before Thanos does it for you.” Groot looks over in curiosity and Rocket tells him, “Believe me, you don’t wanna see this.”

Brunnhilde, on Thor’s right, talks to Thor about something Peter can’t hear, but he notices Thor’s hand inch across the tabletop towards his own. Peter experimentally moves his own hand next to Thor’s. Without looking, still engaged in conversation with Brunnhilde, Thor extends a pinkie, just slightly, to graze Peter’s hand. Peter decides to go for it, putting his own hand over Thor’s. Thor smiles, though he doesn’t turn back around to face him, and Peter’s cheeks heat up.

Rocket scoffs, “Finally.”

Brunnhilde notices Thor’s grin and his and Peter’s hands, asking, “Are you two...”

“I would think so,” Thor replies, his happiness through the roof.

Brunnhilde smiles, “I’m glad for you. You deserve that.”

As the room fills up with the last of the heroes, Tony takes the front of the room. Stephen and Parker are next to him. Frankly, the kid looks like crap. Peter wonders if he’ll be fine when they go up against Thanos. He’ll look out for the kid if it comes to it. Hulk stands on Tony’s other side, gauntlet on one hand.

“Alright. So we all know Thanos is coming. We need a plan, because he has two Stones and we need to get those. Power and Reality,” Tony says. “The plan’s flimsy, but it’s all we can do. The strongest of us will go find Thanos. Hulk will remain here with everyone else, in the event that Thanos evades the search team and comes directly to claim the other Stones. Hulk can use the Space Stone to transport them back here if Thanos does arrive when they aren’t here. Any other suggestions? I’m open.”

Nobody says anything, and Jessica mutters, “The guy has two Stones and he’s a big ass alien. Our options for dealing with him are more than limited. I think your plan’s all we got.” Everyone agrees, unable to think of a better way.

“Okay, if there are no objections, here are the ones who will go to locate Thanos. Danvers, Thor, Steph and Quill,” Tony says. “Mantis and Cage, if you’re open to the idea, you’re welcome to join. And Maximoff, I thought of adding you to the team, but in the event Steph doesn’t make it back in time, we need another powerful magic user here to keep Thanos in check.”

Wanda nods, accepting the decision made about where she will be, and Luke says, “I think I’ll stay here and help with Thanos if he comes here. Space is not my scene.”

Mantis says regrettably, “I’d rather stay here.”

“That’s fine. It’s your choice,” Tony replies. “Alright, so —“

“Wait, why’s _Quill_ going?” Rocket suddenly asks. Matt tilts his head, as if silently asking the same thing. “Quill can fight, but he isn’t one of the strongest.”

Peter rolls his eyes, saying sarcastically, “Wow, _thanks_ , Rocket.”

“I know you feel a little weird when you can’t watch out for his safety,” Tony says empathetically. Peter raises an eyebrow towards Rocket, who just looks away. Tony explains, “We need Quill there because, as he said, he knows his way around space. That and the fact that he’s dealt with the Power Stone before.”

“All of us have dealt with it,” Drax points out.

“I only need one of you with us, it’ll be better with more Guardians down here than up there,” Tony says. “Plus, Quill’s a space pilot.”

Rocket mumbles, “I’m a space pilot.”

Peter says to him, “Yeah, but someone’s gotta take care of Groot.”

Tony nods, agreeing, and says, “Anything else, anyone?” When nobody else raises any other issues, Tony says, “Then they’ll be leaving. Quill, go prepare your ship. If anyone has anything to say to the ones leaving, say it now. Who knows if we’ll meet again later on?” Tony leaves, Stephen and Parker following him for a little family meeting.

“I don’t feel good about Mr Strange leaving to another planet,” Peter admits once the three of them leave the conference room, away from the others.

“I’ll ask Thor to watch him. He’ll be fine, kid. Promise,” Tony says. Stephen nods, agreeing.

Peter says, “I’m just... worried about him. The last time we were in space...”

Tony takes in a breath, remembering how it felt when his boyfriend and his son turned into ash in his own hands. How hopeless he felt that he was willing to stay on Titan on his own. He’d been ready to tell Nebula and Thor to leave without him, even. And he was more than ready to die on the Milano when the oxygen runs out. Stephen remembers that his only experience in space is battling a Titan and dying. Not a good memory.

Stephen fills in for him, “I’ll be fine, Peter. I promise I will come back to both of you.”

Tony nods, saying, “Thanos won’t get him, okay? He will come home.”

Peter finally relents, “Please be careful.”

In the conference room, Matt catches Peter, unintentionally cutting Thor off. Thor gives him an annoyed look, sure that Matt can feel his gaze, and Matt apologises, “Sorry. I just need to talk to Peter for a minute.”

Peter obliges, following Matt to a quieter corner of the room, and Peter says, “Look, Matt —“

“I know. And you don’t have to apologise for it,” Matt interrupts. “I didn’t mean to cut you off but I mean, I know what you’re going to say. You like Thor, and Thor likes you. There’s not much I can do about that.”

“I’m sorry,” Peter says.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Matt replies. “I was thinking about it, and it wouldn’t have worked out between us either way. You’re going back to space when this is over, and we both know I’m more than unwilling to follow. Plus, I’m sure neither of us do well with long distance. In the end, you’re you and I’m me. It is what it is.”

Peter nods, saying, “I thought the same. Thanks for understanding, Matt. I hope you find someone else. Someone better for you than I would have been.”

Matt shrugs, smiling, “Maybe I should get Thanos out of the way before I think about that.”

Peter laughs, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Matt becomes serious as he says, “Peter, please be careful up there. I know you’re used to life in space, but it’s Thanos with two Infinity Stones. I may not have feelings for you anymore, but you are still my friend. I care about you.”

Peter smiles gratefully, “Thanks, Matt. I’ll watch my back.” With that, Peter goes back to his seat, and Matt makes his way towards the Defenders once again.

Thor asks curiously, “What did he want?”

“Just saying be careful,” Peter answers. He glances out of the conference room’s hallway window, seeing Tony wave towards him, and he says, “I think Stark wants us to leave now.”

Thor turns around, standing when he sees Tony wave, “Yes. Well, let’s go then.”

* * *

“We’re reaching in about ten minutes!” Peter announces from his place in the pilot’s seat of the Milano. Carol takes the other pilot seat, learning from Peter how to fly it. She’d never flown a ship like Peter’s before and was curious enough to learn. Stephen moves to the back of the ship where Thor is.

“Hey, how’re you doing?” Stephen asks. “I saw you and Quill during the meeting earlier. I didn’t know you two were a thing.”

Thor smiles, “I’m unsure if we’re anything yet, but I do hope so and it seems like it.”

Stephen grins back, nodding, “That’s good. You deserve to be happy. You’ve lost a lot. I think Quill’s good for you, I know I don’t see you often, even less than Tony has, but the happiest I’ve seen you is when you’re with him.”

“I hope we defeat Thanos soon so I can ask him to be with me officially,” Thor says, glancing to the pilot seats. Peter is leaning over to Carol, pointing out buttons on the screen and explaining what each one does. Carol listens intently, clarifying when she needs to.

“We’ll get home,” Stephen says. Thor notices that he left out ‘I promise’ but he decides not to ask about it. He knows Stephen can’t promise that, but he also knows Tony definitely promised his son that Stephen will come home. Thor just hopes they manage to steal the gauntlet from Thanos and they can finally take him down with no more casualties.

* * *

Matt finds himself running down the hallway of the Avengers Compound the moment he hears a loud crash followed by a wall crumbling into debris. Jessica and Luke catch up with him nearer to where the sound came from. Matt narrowly dodges who he thinks is Natasha Romanoff falling onto the ground behind him. Danny, who joined them halfway down the hallway, slows down to help her up.

“What happened?” Matt asks, managing to move fast enough to catch Peter Parker before he collides with the ground.

Peter answers, rushed, “Thanos got the gauntlet.”

“What? How?” Jessica asks, Matt and Luke running forward to help the others fight him.

“I don’t know what happened, he surprise-attacked Dr Banner and got it,” Peter answers, panicking.

Jessica drags Peter to a nearby room, saying seriously, “Stay here.”

“I can fight!” Peter insists, trying to move past Jessica. Her strength cancels out Peter’s own, and he groans in frustration, “Thanos is going to get away!”

“If he has all the Stones, he’s getting away either way!” Jessica snaps. “Listen, Peter. I care about you, and Tony and Stephen are my friends. I promised Tony I would make sure you stay safe, and I’m going to do that. _Stay_. _Here_.”

Peter relents, remembering his fight with a four-Stoned Thanos. Jessica turns to leave the room when Steve Rogers crashes down at the doorway. Jessica rolls her eyes — clearly, she still doesn’t like him — and avoids him, making her way to where the fight is. Peter can’t stand staying away when he has powers to help with, and leaves the room when Jessica is gone, freezing up when he sees some heroes knocked out and others struggling against Thanos, now wearing a complete gauntlet. The Hulk was knocked out, only lying at a side as an unconscious Bruce Banner. The heroes are trying to keep Thanos on Earth, not giving him any chance to stop and teleport away. Wanda is trying her best with keeping Thanos at bay for the others to attack him, but it’s not enough. Tony can’t hold his own against Thanos, not with so many heroes down, and Thanos uses the Space Stone to leave the fight before the fallen ones can get back up.

Tony looks up from his place on the floor to Peter, frozen in fear, and asks, “Kid, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Peter mumbles, staring where Thanos once was. “But Thanos is going where Mr Strange is.”

* * *

The group doesn’t even have time to adjust to their surroundings on the planet Peter landed on before Thanos punches Stephen. He summons a weak shield just in time to take the blow without getting too heavily injured. Thor and Carol immediately power up, going at him. Peter activates his mask, firing at Thanos.

“Where the hell did he come from?” Peter asks, dodging a hit from Thanos.

Carol shouts, grabbing the fist of Thanos’ that doesn’t have a gauntlet on, “Watch out! He has all the Stones!”

Stephen uses his magic to hold Thanos down, restricting his movement as much as he can. Thor drops Stormbreaker, helping Carol and Stephen to stop Thanos’ actions. Peter grabs onto the gauntlet and starts pulling on it, using the jets on his boots to help him.

“I wish Mantis came along!” Peter says, tugging on the gauntlet.

“We’ll work with what we’ve got! Thor, help Quill!” Stephen shouts to Thor. When Thor obeys and moves to help Peter, Thanos’ other hand breaks out of Carol’s grip and wraps around Peter. Thor panics, remembering how Thanos took hold of Loki back on their ship. First Loki and now Peter, it seems like Thanos can only take and take from him.

Peter kicks at him, one of his guns dropping in his struggle, “Let me go, douchebag!” He tries to pry Thanos’ fingers open from around him, but his strength doesn’t compete with the titan’s. Peter wishes he still had his Celestial powers.

Thor picks up Stormbreaker and strikes at Thanos, along with Carol and Stephen who fires a photon blast and a powerful magic attack, but he avoids all of them by teleporting with the Space Stone, taking Peter with him.

“He’s gone,” Carol gasps, pressing a hand to her face. “Thor, I’m _so_ sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” he mumbles, picking up the elemental gun Peter dropped in the struggle.

Carol shakes her head, coming up behind him, “No, I should have been able to hold him down longer. I’m so sorry. I know he’s important to you.” Thor doesn’t say anything, staring at the gun in his hand.

“We need to go back and regroup with the others. Carol, start the ship. I’ll talk to him,” Stephen says. Carol nods hesitantly, patting Thor in comfort before turning to the ship. Stephen places a hand on Thor’s shoulder, asking, “You wanna talk about it?”

Thor shakes his head, “No.”

“Then we won’t talk about it,” Stephen affirms, putting his hand on Thor’s back to guide him to the ship. “But we’ll talk when you’re ready. I’m very sorry. It all happened too fast.”

“Everything happens too fast these days,” Thor says dejectedly, boarding the Milano.

It doesn’t feel right, flying home in Peter’s ship without Peter flying it.


	9. every failing sun (there’s a morning after)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we’re almost to the end...

“ _We’ll work with what we’ve got! Thor, help Quill!” Stephen shouts, restraining Thanos with his powerful magic. Thor nods, releasing his grip on Thanos to move over to the arm with the gauntlet. Peter has his mask down, using his jet boosters to help him with removing the gauntlet. At that moment, Thanos’ hand slips out of Carol’s grip and grabs onto Peter’s head._

_“Let go of me, douchebag!” Peter shouts, kicking and pulling at Thanos’ hand to try to free himself. Thor strikes out at Thanos, but just before the lightning makes contact with the Titan, blood spurts out from the cracks of his fingers. The fight drains out of Peter’s body as it goes limp, crimson liquid dripping onto his clothes and down Thanos’ hand._

“No!” Thor shouts, jolting up in bed. He realises that he’s in his room at the Avengers Compound and sighs, rubbing his face tiredly. It hadn’t been an easy day for anyone.

* * *

When Thor, Carol and Stephen returned to Earth, they were greeted by Bruce Banner, back to normal, apologising. They told him it wasn’t his fault, Thanos took everyone by surprise, and Tony gives Stephen a hug to welcome him back. 

It was telling the Guardians what had happened with Peter that was the most difficult part about returning.

“Where’s Quill? If he’s hidin’ in there...” Rocket mumbles, trying to peer into the ship.

Carol replies quietly, “Thanos took him. I’m sorry.”

“He what?” Rocket asks, anger practically radiating from him. Thor can tell it’s laced with fear as well, after spending so much time with the raccoon. He wants to comfort him, but he’s frozen in silence, just watching it unfold in front of him.

“We tried to get him back, but he left with the Space Stone. We didn’t know where he was so we couldn’t follow,” Stephen says apologetically. Tony doesn’t add anything to the conversation as Peter Parker, Jessica, Matt and the other Avengers came in. He didn’t know what to say either, as it seems.

“No. I’m not taking any excuses,” Rocket growls, backing away from them.

Carol reaches out a hand to him, “Rocket —“

“No! Not again!” Rocket explodes. Thor had never seen Rocket so angry, and angry was his default emotion. “You don’t get to lose my friend and tell me you’re sorry! I don’t care if you are!”

“What’s wrong?” Mantis asks. The Guardians’ entrance instantly takes the room’s already uncomfortable energy and multiplies it tenfold.

Stephen replies, his voice uncharacteristically soft, “Thanos got Quill.”

The Guardians all stare at them, frozen in their place. The video game Tony had gotten for Groot drops from the young tree’s hands. Drax doesn’t say anything, but when Mantis’ hand accidentally brushes against him and she breaks down sobbing, the air gets icy.

“As if losing one friend to Thanos wasn’t enough, now Quill’s gone too,” Rocket mutters, bitter and resentful. Thor feels nothing but shame and agony.

Jessica looks over to Matt, whose face twitches slightly in worry and maybe even the beginnings of grief. It was difficult to tell with Matt sometimes. If Jessica thought she was a master at repressing emotions, Matt was a champion at it. Though, upon hearing about Quill, Matt looks a little panicked now.

“We have to get him back,” Matt immediately says.

“We don’t know where he is,” Stephen replies. “Otherwise, we’d have gone after him.”

Rocket rolls his eyes, yelling, “You’d never have gone after him anyway, wouldn’t you? The pirate angel over there, I don’t doubt he would, but you two probably don’t even care he’s gone! You’ve never cared about him, or people like us!”

“That’s not fair,” Stephen protests, but he doesn’t do it strongly. He knows Rocket is already very agitated. He wouldn’t have said anything but he didn’t want Rocket to think he didn’t care about Quill. It was true he didn’t know him very well — not as well as Thor, Matt or the Guardians — but Quill had been a good friend regardless. He’d made him and Tony a mixtape and had tried to help wherever he could since his return. He did care about Quill and he felt it was unfair for Rocket to say he didn’t and to insinuate that they’d lost him on purpose.

“You know what’s _not_ fair? Losing my friend when I said he shouldn’t have went!” Rocket shouts. “He would still be here if you didn’t bring him!”

“Rocket, I know you’re mad, but please calm down,” Steve tries.

“You lost Quill! You lost my friend! What part of that makes you think I wanna calm down?” Rocket retorts. Mantis and Drax look on, quiet but clearly hurting, and Groot stands close to Mantis, looking like he’s grieving for the first time in his life. “I am sick of me an’ my family always being treated like shit! We saved the galaxy twice and you feed him to the dogs!”

“He might not be dead. We can still get him back,” Rhodey offers.

“Yeah, tell me when you do. I can’t trust you idiots with my family anymore,” Rocket mumbles. He begins to walk away with the other Guardians, who were still stunned and silent from the news.

It’d been a taxing day. From that point till nighttime, none of the Guardians were seen walking around the Compound, likely together in a room talking about Quill. Perhaps they were planning their own rescue mission. Tony asked Thor to check on them about it the next day and leave them alone for the time being. Thor didn’t have the energy to deal with anyone, retiring to his room after a quick shower. He’d almost just forgone the shower until Tony practically forces him into having one.

“You gotta take care of yourself too,” Tony had said.

In the shower, Thor couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting to Peter. He looked down at his wrist for the first time since his return. He’d put off looking at it for fear that the initials had disappeared, for fear that Peter was truly dead, that he was never coming back.

‘PQ’ stares right back at him.

A relieved sigh escapes Thor as he presses his hands to his face. Peter was alive. For now, at least. That’s good enough for him.

* * *

Some higher power must have decided that Thor deserved a win for once, because Loki turns up at the doorway of Avengers Compound the next morning.

“Hello, brother,” Loki says, a smug smile on his face. “Did you think you were rid of me so easily?”

Thor doesn’t say anything, instantly pulling Loki into a hug like he should’ve years ago. Loki is caught by surprise, but his arms eventually wrap around the older Odinson. Brunnhilde and Bruce come by and were pleasantly delighted by the presence of Loki.

“I thought you died,” Brunnhilde said, giving Loki a smile. Thor was still holding on to Loki tightly, like if he let go, Loki would disappear. Loki makes no effort to separate himself from Thor, having a feeling that the hug wasn’t just for him, that Thor needs this hug as much as he does. Tony comes over, summoned by the commotion, and his eyebrows fly up in shock.

“Is that Loki? Didn’t he die?” Tony asks, walking closer to them.

“Death can’t seem to keep me down,” Loki replies.

Thor finally musters the strength to pull away from Loki in his hug as he says, “I’m so sorry, brother.”

Loki rolls his eyes fondly, nodding, “Yes, I heard you the first hundred times you said that.” He adds, an afterthought, “I’m sorry as well.”

* * *

Tony offers Loki his own room, but Thor insists that his brother share one with him. Tony doesn’t argue, knowing that the two brothers need to talk. Lord knows Thor needs this, especially after losing Quill.

“What’s really going on?” Loki asks the moment the door closes behind them.

Thor looks at him, replying, “Nothing. I’m very happy to have you back.”

Loki shakes his head, taking a seat at the desk Thor’s room had. Tony gave him a desk; Thor didn’t know what use he would have for a desk in his room since he rarely needed one. He didn’t write, he didn’t carry much with him. Tony left the desk there either way.Loki says, “I’ve been your brother for hundreds of years. I know when something is bothering you. What is it?”

“It’s Thanos. He got Peter,” Thor finally says.

Loki narrows his eyes, confused, “Who is Peter?”

Thor raises his wrist, explaining, “He is my soulmate... Peter Quill.” Loki’s eyes widen slightly in realisation and he nods slowly.

“What happened?”

“The sorcerer, the captain, him and me, we went to find Thanos, to retrieve the Infinity Stones he had. We thought he only had two, but he successfully stole the other four from Banner before finding us. We tried to get the Gauntlet off him, but he managed to break free of our restraints and took Peter with him. I know not if he is fine or where he is. I just know that he is alive for now,” Thor says dejectedly.

Loki asks, after a moment of thought, “You’re concerned?”

“Of course I am,” Thor replies.

“Because he is your soulmate?” Loki adds.

“It matters not if he was. I am concerned about him either way,” Thor answers earnestly.

Loki questions, “Why? You told me once before, when we were little, that you didn’t care about soulmates.”

“Because I love him,” Thor finally says. “I’m in love with him, Loki. And I cannot help but feel that Thanos getting him was my fault. He had Peter by his neck, brother... I —“ Thor stops talking, trying to recollect himself as the memories forces its way into the front of his mind. He pushes himself to continue; he really needs to let it all out, “I almost lost him the way I lost you. There is not a day that passes where I don’t blame myself for your death.”

Loki hadn’t realised that Thor would be so upset over his death. His last words to him had been about how he was the worst. It had all happened so fast. Loki almost forgot that Thor had been there to watch.

“It was not your fault, I assure you,” Loki says. “And I have returned, have I not?”

“You have,” Thor says, mustering up the strength to smile. “At least I have you.”

* * *

Loki makes it his mission to try to find a way to save Peter. Part of it’s because nobody deserves to be in Thanos’ captivity. A bigger part of it’s because his brother loves him. He can’t just leave Peter there. Thor loved him too much for Loki to take a backseat about it.

He had an idea, though he was hesitant to go through with it alone. He may know how powerful he is, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see that Titan again on his own. The last time he’d been in the company of Thanos, he’d had his neck snapped and almost didn’t come back. Not again, thank you.

But Thor is his brother. For the first time ever, they were at peace with one another. All Loki had ever wanted was to be by Thor’s side as his equal, not behind him as second best. He finally got that after they’d defeated Hela and he knew it isn’t going away after Thor’s warm welcome upon his return. Loki is determined not to lose it. He wants to help Thor as much as he can. Plus, any chance to foil Thanos’ plans, Loki will take.

He will need someone’s help — definitely not Thor, Brunnhilde or even Banner. While Thanos won’t recognise Banner, he doubted that the human could disguise himself at Thanos’ location. He would have his new Black Order by now, and he really doesn’t think Banner could fit in. He could, as the Hulk, maybe, but Thanos would recognise him. The three of them were out.

Perhaps that sorcerer, Stark’s fiancé. That magician he’d met when he and Thor were looking for Odin. He sent him falling for thirty minutes straight. Stephen Strange, as Loki recalls his name to be. Perhaps he could help. Though his magic was second-rate compared to his own, as he liked to think, he’s sure Thanos would be willing to accept his help.

Loki proceeds to find Stephen at the Sanctum Sanctorum. He wonders why Stephen makes his location so easily found. Anyone could attack him at any moment. It’s ridiculous.

He doesn’t even reach for the handle before he finds himself inside, seated across from the Sorcerer Supreme himself. He’s actually dressed like a common man, in a plain maroon v-neck and sweatpants. Stephen offers him tea and Loki declines it.

“So what are you here for?” Stephen asks. “Not a social call, I hope.”

“I require your assistance,” Loki says, leaning forward in his chair slightly. “I have a proposal to bring to you.”

Stephen raises an eyebrow, interest piqued. He never thought he’d see the day where Loki would want his help (especially since the god had called him second-rate). He prods, “In regards to?”

“To the one you know as Peter Quill. I was informed that he may also go by ‘Star-Lord’,” Loki answers. Stephen’s face twitches slightly in what Loki would guess was guilt. He wouldn’t know. He’s not familiar with Stephen and his mannerisms.

Stephen questions, “Thanos took him. What are you thinking?”

“I have an idea on where they are and I may be able to rescue him,” Loki says. “But I would prefer if I had another person at my side while I infiltrate Thanos’ quarters.”

“Why not Thor? The Valkyrie? Banner, even,” Stephen asks. “Why me?”

“Thanos would recognise them all. I may go as I can change my appearance,” Loki replies. “And you... I have a suspicion that Thanos would appreciate having you on his side.”

Stephen pauses before he clarifies, “You want me to join his Black Order.”

“All false pretences, I assure you. All temporary. I will take out one of his new Black Order members and take their place. You can offer your services to him. I’m sure he will accept. We may work together to find a way to retrieve the Infinity Stones and rescue my brother’s lover,” Loki proposes.

Stephen falls silent after Loki finishes speaking, thinking through the plan. Thanos had offered him a place in his Black Order roster, but that was before he had all the Stones. He has no idea if Thanos will still take him in. Even if he does, will Thanos trust his loyalty enough to reveal anything that might help them get the Stones or set Quill free?

And then there was the topic of Tony. Tony would never let him do this, not after the close call with him when he went back in time. Not after Thanos almost tried to snap his neck before deciding to toss him aside. Not after he dusted away on Titan. Not after he just got him back and proposed to him. Tony would never allow him to infiltrate Thanos.

Despite that, Stephen thought this is the closest thing to a plan they had right now. With Quill taken, the Guardians shut the rest of them (except Matt Murdock and Thor, apparently) out. Mantis was polite with them, she always was, but even she seemed a little distant. Thor clearly felt demoralised, what with Thanos abducting Quill and owning all six Stones, and none of the others knew how to find Thanos. Loki’s plan is the only one they have, regardless of how good or bad it sounded.

“I’m in,” Stephen finally says.

“Thank you,” Loki replies instantly.

“I’m not doing this for you,” Stephen returns. “I’m doing this because it’s the only thing I can do.”

Loki says, giving him a cold smile as he stands to leave, “And because you were there when Thanos took Quill and did nothing, no?”

Stephen tries to stop the guilt from eating him alive for the rest of the day.

* * *

The day after, Stephen comes to the Avengers Compound a little ahead of schedule. He portals his way into Tony’s workshop, where he’s looking over notes, surely trying to come up with a way for them to take the Infinity Gauntlet and actually manage to keep it. 

“Oh, hey, honey,” Tony smiles tiredly. “You’re early.”

Stephen nods, leaning against one of the tables as he says, “You know how I accepted your decision about your armour?”

Tony blinks at him, unsure about where the conversation is heading, “Yeah... Are you mad about it again? I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m not mad. You don’t need to apologise,” Stephen says quickly. “I just... You know, I’m asking the same reaction to what I’m about to tell you. You... You’re allowed to be mad, but I need you to accept it after because this is our only choice right now.”

“You’re making me nervous,” Tony says, letting out a forced chuckle.

Stephen decides to just get it over with, “Loki and I will be infiltrating Thanos and his Black Order.”

“You _what_?” Tony almost instantly explodes. Stephen has been expecting it. He just hopes Tony will see his side quickly, because he knows Loki will turn up any minute expecting a green light.

Stephen exhales, “Get it out of your system. You’re very mad.”

“Damn right, I am. What the hell, Steph? This is Thanos we’re talking about! Thanos with six Infinity Stones! One wrong move and you’re dead!” Tony says, anxious and worried.

“Loki will oversee it and make sure we both get home safe. But I promise you, if the situation gets out of hand, I will come right back home. I can make portals for a reason,” Stephen says, lifting one of Tony’s hands to press a kiss to it. “I will be careful.”

Tony asks, desperate for Stephen not to go, “I know you will, you can take care of yourself, but why can’t we all just go after him together?”

“The last time we did that, he got all the Stones and Quill,” Stephen points out. “We need a new plan and Loki’s one is all we have. We don’t have time. Thanos can do anything anytime. If we act, we need to do so now.”

Tony asks, “Are you doing this because of Quill?”

“We need the Stones back too, but yes... After Rocket’s rant, I think it’s an understatement to say that... I feel guilty about Thanos getting Quill,” Stephen says. “I can’t help but feel like I could have done something. You know when bad things happen, and you have the ability to stop it but you don’t? It becomes your fault. I feel like I owe him to bring him home.”

Tony thinks for a while before he slowly nods, “If you think this will work... then I trust you. Promise me you will come home the moment the tide turns.”

“I promise you.”


	10. let the ashes fall (forget about me)

Luckily for them, Loki knew where Thanos was based from his time working for him. It was good fortune that Loki turned up when he did. With Loki providing the location, going there proved an easy task with Stephen’s portals.

They manage to find one of the lighter hitters of Thanos’ new Black Order and with their combined efforts, take him down. Loki assumes the member’s form and shoves Stephen along on the way to Thanos’ throne room where he sat, gauntlet on full display.

“What’s this?” Thanos asks, leering at Stephen. It makes his skin crawl in disgust, but he puts on an indifferent face.

“I see your point,” Stephen lies.

A slow smile creeps onto Thanos’ face as he asks, “Are you offering your loyalty?”

“I’m offering my services,” Stephen says. He even bows slightly to sell the act. It’s all so gross, the idea of siding with Thanos, even if it’s just to steal the gauntlet and rescue Quill. Loki nods once to him to let him know he’s doing well.

“Excellent. You and that Celestial will make fine additions,” Thanos grins to himself. He points towards the new Black Order and says to Stephen, “Welcome to the Black Order.”

* * *

While Stephen talks to Thanos, Loki makes his way through the place, trying to see if he can locate Peter.

The kingdom or fortress of sorts was definitely something Thanos conjured with the Gauntlet. He didn’t remember Sanctuary-1 looking like this before. He was purely lucky that Thanos didn’t relocate and just made a fortress where he used to be based.

He ventures hallway after hallway, looking through room after room. With nobody else around, he turns back into his normal form to save energy. It’s a little draining to shape-shift into someone else for an extended period of time and he didn’t feel like being underhanded lest he has to fight Thanos alone. Finally, he sees a room that’s bolted but thankfully, there’s a window. He peers through it, trying to see what’s inside.

Peter is suspended in midair by some invisible force. Loki remembers seeing a ‘prison’ like that before. It was usually one of his daughters — Nebula, if he recalled correctly — who was usually held there when she failed a mission or simply misbehaved. Peter was fortunate that he had no metal parts for the technology to tear him apart from.

He tries to see if he can get through the door, but it seemed like it was just not possible. Perhaps with Stephen’s portals, they can get through. Though, it’s becoming more possible that the doors were warded against magic. He curses underneath his breath and decides that knowing Peter is alright for now will have to suffice.

Peter hangs in midair, unconscious. His head was down, so Loki can’t exactly see if he was entirely unharmed. For the most part, however, it looks like the most damage done to him was knocking him out. His jacket is removed and his guns are nowhere in sight, likely locked up in the arsenal. If he has the time, Loki will try to get the guns back. Surely, Peter cannot go into battle against Thanos unarmed. He is only Midgardian.

There’s just something about Peter that seems off, though. Was he Midgardian? Or was he one of those aliens that resembled Midgardians?

He shakes off the thought, shape-shifting back into the Black Order member to meet with Stephen.

* * *

“That was revolting on multiple levels,” Stephen comments as the door shuts behind them. 

Loki shape-shifts back into his regular form and replies, “On the upside, I’ve located Thor’s lover. He’s fine, just unconscious and unarmed. We will retrieve him tomorrow. The holding cell is usually even more guarded at this point of time.”

Stephen nods, sighing, “At least we’ll be out of here tomorrow.”

“Maybe my brother will stop moping around,” Loki rolls his eyes. Stephen laughs lightly, shaking his head.

“What do you think about Thor and Quill?” Stephen asks, curious if the outlaw has Thor’s brother’s approval. He wasn’t even sure if Thor and Peter had even officially initiated a relationship.

“I think what I think doesn’t actually matter. Thor’s stubborn. Even if I don’t like Quill, he’ll be with him either way,” Loki replies. “I haven’t met him yet aside from earlier when I found him but I suppose, from what I’ve heard from Thor, Quill is bearable.”

* * *

Thanos beckons his Black Order and Stephen to the main room. Loki shape-shifts back into the member he’d assumed the day before and goes along with Stephen. They’re both surprised to find Peter there. He’s not restrained, but there are two very intimidating henchmen standing behind him in case he tried anything. Even if he wanted to, he was weaponless. It would probably do him more good to stay put as he was.

Peter widens his eyes slightly when he sees Stephen, who just nods once to him subtly. Peter relaxes a little — finally, some help. He’d been unconscious most of his time on the ship, and found himself suspended in mid-air with no weapons and being unable to move.

“What are you planning to do with him?” Stephen asks, using an indifferent tone.

“Adding to my arsenal,” Thanos answers, raising the gauntlet in his hand as the Power Stone glows. Peter squeezes his eyes shut as he feels the power radiate through the throne room. Even Stephen can’t help but tense up. Is he going to destroy Peter? For what?

Peter slowly opens his eyes when he doesn’t hear anything. He realises nobody has been injured, and Thanos stares at him expectantly. He asks, afraid of the answer, “What did you do?”

“You are a Celestial, no?” Thanos asks. Loki doesn’t outwardly react, but he’s genuinely surprised by the information. He hadn’t known of Peter’s genealogy. He’d assumed he was a space-based Midgardian. Stephen doesn’t seem to recognise the term.

Peter’s hands suddenly explode with glowing blue energy and he jerks back in shock. “What the hell did you do to me?”

“I returned what is rightfully yours,” Thanos explains. “So much potential, stripped away too soon.”

Peter stares at him, waiting for the ball to drop. Waiting for Thanos to do something. The Titan simply gestures towards a small structure. Peter decides that nothing could go wrong so he holds out a hand to it, focussing on the power coursing through his veins. At the sound of stone crumbling and the sensation of vague heat in his hand, he realises he truly has his powers back.

Stephen’s eyes widen as he sees Peter obliterate the structure. He had no idea that Peter was anything more than human. Sure, he’d seen the future, but he’d skipped over the details. He just checked for the one that brought them victory with Tony’s survival and least casualties. He skipped over anything that happened in between — knowing too much about the future just didn’t cut it sometimes. He skipped over the list of casualties, the selfish part of him only checking if Tony made the group who survive at the end. Seeing Peter and actually feeling true power radiating from him, he’s sure that they’ll win with very little casualties. Maybe even none at all.

“You may keep your abilities, if you choose to join me,” Thanos says.

They’ll win, if Peter doesn’t surprise Stephen by somehow saying yes to Thanos. He prepares for the unlikelihood that Peter says yes. On the very off chance he Thanos manages to convince Peter, Stephen prepares to off Peter. Now realising how powerful Peter may potentially be, he cannot risk his power falling into Thanos’ hands. Especially not with the Infinity Stones. It didn’t matter how Thor or the Guardians would react. He knew they would absolutely kill him for it. The universe was more important.

“You lost, Grimace. What makes you think I want to join you?” Peter scoffs.

“If you hear me out, perhaps you will reconsider your quick rejection,” Thanos replies. “Join me, and I will ensure your teammates and that God of Thunder live well. They will live the rest of their lives in true bliss. It only costs your loyalty to me.”

Peter stares at him, before he asks, “You’re still harping on that ‘kill half the universe’ thing?”

“It is beneficial to all, everything I have done. Why do you fail to see that? Everyone will live better after I make my decimation permanent,” Thanos insists.

“You killed Gamora!” Peter shouts. “You said you loved her!”

Stephen remembers Peter’s grief when he found out Gamora had died. Gamora sounded like a noble warrior. Stephen is sure she deserved better than to be thrown to the bottom of a cliff for a stone.

Thanos says quietly, “I do love her.”

“Bullshit,” Peter says poisonously. “You threw her off a cliff. From what I’ve heard, you killed more people to get the other Stones. Then you killed half the world. Not one part of that sounds like people are living better!”

Thanos frowns, raising his Gauntlet, “I should show you the effects of it. Maybe it will change your stand.” He closes his fist and the Reality Stone glows. The throne room shifts into Titan. Stephen remembers the illusion from before their fight. Thanos commentates as Peter looks around, “This is my home planet after I succeeded in my plans. Children grow up happy. More than enough resources for everyone.”

“Yeah, you could also just increase resources... You don’t have to kill half of everything!” Peter replies.

“Are you joining me or not?” Thanos asks as their surroundings change back into the throne room. The Power Stone glowed slightly as Thanos prepares to strip Peter of his powers. Stephen glances to Loki who nods once before he changes back to his true form, grabbing Peter as Stephen attacks Thanos.

“Holy shit!” Peter exclaims. “Where did you come from?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Loki replies quickly, turning back to face Thanos. “You need to leave now.”

Thanos, taken by surprise, loses focus on what’s happening as he tries to get his bearings.

“You came for me?” Peter asks. He didn’t think Stephen would come back. Especially not Loki; he thought Loki died.

“Yes, because my dear brother was so upset about you,” Loki replies sarcastically, dodging a hit from Thanos. He creates an illusion of himself while his physical form sneaks up behind Thanos. Thanos attacks Stephen and the fake Loki, realising too late that it’s merely a fake. Peter blasts at Thanos, actually managing to hold him back while Loki successfully steals the Space Stone as Thanos is distracted with Peter. Stephen opens a portal for Loki to store the Stone. They will simply retrieve it when they’re safe.

Thanos growls, closing his fist, but Stephen opens another portal and pushes Peter in, closing it behind him before Thanos can even attempt to take his powers away. As Thanos uses the Power Stone to fire at them, Stephen turns his attack into blue butterflies. Tony. He needs to get home before Thanos finds a chance to seriously injure him. He needs to get home while the heroes now possess the upper hand.

He opens one last portal, pulling Loki in with him as he falls into it, narrowly missing Thanos’ fist by a second.

This is it.


	11. come what may (i will love you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this sucked but hey,,, we’re kinda at the end

“They’ll be back soon,” Tony reassures Thor. “Loki will be fine. So will Quill.”

Thor had resigned himself to keeping Tony company in his workshop as the mechanic continued to improve his newest armour. Tony introduced it to him just about an hour before — armour he’d put into his bones so he was never without protection and always prepared. Thor had found it shocking at first, but after Tony’s explanation and his promise that Stephen was fine with it, Thor relaxed. He trusted that Tony would make a good choice for himself.

Thor doesn’t respond to Tony, a hand absently stroking Dum-E. Loki and Stephen have been gone for about two days now, and he knows the final battle with Thanos for the Stones draws near. Thanos isn’t going to make the same mistake twice — Thor is more than certain that the Titan doesn’t intend to leave any of them alive to undo his work once more. If they lose this second chance, they lose it forever.

“How was things with Quill before Thanos happened?” Tony asks, trying to distract Thor from worrying about his brother’s wellbeing. “Steph mentioned you guys were more... open.”

“I admitted my feelings. It is mutual,” Thor answers. “Alas, every time we try to do something about it, something else interrupts us. I’m not one for cosmic signs, but perhaps...”

Tony interrupts, shaking his head, “Nope. No, not a cosmic sign. It’s just, you know, wrong place, wrong time. The universe doesn’t decide things for you. I would know.” Yes, he knows. He remembers Stephen almost choking to death on blue butterflies and claiming that the universe thought he didn’t deserve Tony. Yet, here they were — engaged (with an adopted son). Getting married after Thanos is wiped from existence. There is no such thing as cosmic signs.

“Tony, you —“

Thor doesn’t finish his sentence when he’s cut off by a blue gem falling out of a portal of orange sparks. It clatters on the tiled floor as the portal closes up.

Tony squints at it, moving closer, “Is that...”

“The Space Stone,” Thor affirms, eyes widening. But if the Space Stone was there, that could only mean Loki and Stephen were stealing the Stones. Tony hurries to grab a container Stephen had crafted with him, made to hold an Infinity Stone. Stephen had Tony make a few, just in case they obtained more in the future. Thor looks around, waiting for something to happen. Another portal to open. Another Stone. His friend. His brother. The love of his life. Something, someone.

Tony managed to get the Space Stone into the container, grinning victoriously, “Smart. Thanos can’t find us now.”

Another portal sparks to life as someone tumbles out of it, grabbing onto Thor to stop himself from falling. Thor’s hands move to help the man orient himself before he realises who it is.

“Peter, you’re safe,” Thor says quietly, eyes wide.

Peter gets himself back to reality and he smiles, bringing Thor into a hug. Tony watches with a grin of his own, waiting for Stephen and Loki to make their way back. Sure enough, a final portal opens, Stephen emerging from it with a hand clutching Loki’s cape as if he’d pulled him through. Tony welcomes Stephen back with a deep kiss, glad that he’s unharmed and that they succeeded.

Peter pulls away from the hug, giving Thor a smile so beautiful that it takes his breath away. Peter laughs a little bit, happy to not be in Thanos’ captivity anymore, as he says, “I missed you. It’s been two days, but...”

“I missed you too,” Thor replies, smiling just as brightly. He looks up to Loki and says sincerely, “I’m glad you’re okay, brother. And thank you.”

Loki rolls his eyes, waving him off, “Yes, yes. You’re welcome.” Though, he smiles to himself when nobody’s looking.

Peter takes both of Thor’s hands into his own as he asks, beaming, “Why are you so sweet on me, Thor?”

Thor almost goes in for what would be their first kiss there and then but Loki interrupts them, a mischievous smirk on his face, “Brother, not to ruin your moment, but we do have a Stone and a Titan to deal with.” He adds, eyeing Peter, “And a Celestial, apparently.”

Thor furrows his eyebrows in confusion, replying, “Peter is half-Celestial, yes. But how is that relevant?”

“It’s relevant because Celestials are apparently one of, if not the most, powerful aliens in the galaxy and we have one right here,” Stephen answers, gesturing to Peter who steps away from Thor, their affectionate moment having melted away into something more serious.

Tony frowns, just as clueless as Thor, as he asks, “Okay... Yeah, we have a Celestial, but Peter’s powerless now. He lost his powers when he killed his dad years ago.“

“But I got them back,” Peter says.

“What? How?” Thor asks, surprised.

“Thanos returned them to try to bribe me to join his Black Order, Loki and Strange got me out of there before Thanos could take them back,” Peter answers, holding out his hands. They ignite with bright light, showing the others that his powers are still there and definitely in their arsenal against Thanos.

Tony murmurs, mesmerised, “Holy shit. To think that when I first met you, I thought you were just some overconfident fuck.”

“Tony,” Stephen sighs. Tony knows Stephen’s thinking the same thing. Tony will admit that he would never have thought that Peter was actually that powerful. Though Peter has yet to display the full extent of his abilities to them, his power was obvious. If they weren’t strong and unable to help him destroy the Avengers, Thanos would never have captured him and returned his abilities. Peter, Carol, Stephen, Thor, Bruce as the Hulk and Wanda are their strongest heavy-hitters now. Peter and Carol were definitely going to turn the tables.

* * *

“Okay, everyone. Thanos will be here at any moment, so we have to go through our plan fast,” Steve says to the heroes. Everyone is there — the Avengers, the Guardians, the Defenders, T’Challa, Shuri (in her own newly made Black Panther suit), the Dora Milaje, Scott, Hope, Ava, Stephen, Parker and Carol. “When he comes, King T’Challa, can you and your people take on the Black Order and his other minions? Along with the Guardians, Defenders, Nat, Clint, Rhodey, Sam and me.” 

T’Challa nods to confirm it, and Steve continues, “Magic users, try to help wherever help is needed. With Thanos or the Black Order. We’re depending on you.” The three magic users — Stephen, Wanda and Loki — all nod.

“Good luck, everyone. We have a chance to save the universe from Thanos. Permanently this time. No do-overs. We have one shot to end this for good. Whatever it takes,” Steve closes. Stephen is about to say something when an explosion happens behind them. It’s exploding everywhere. The Avengers Compound is crumbling around them as it falls into smoke, rubble and fire.

“Everyone okay?” Steve shouts, pushing rubble off himself and Natasha. Carol blasts rubble away as she helps Rhodey up.

Stephen uses his magic to lift a huge piece of rubble off him, Tony and Peter as Tony replies, “Steph, Pete and I are okay.”

Quill shoves chunks of concrete off him and the other Guardians while Thor leaves his side to help other buried heroes, “We’re fine!”

“I guess he’s here,” Scott sighs.

A giant ship lands and out steps Thanos and his new Black Order. Above him, an even larger ship hovers as Outriders and Chitauri jump out, ready to tear the Avengers into pieces.

“Avengers. You could not live with your own failure. And where did that lead you? Back to me,” Thanos grins.

“Yeah, but this is the last time. Promise,” Tony replies, his armour crawling across his skin as he prepares for battle. Thanos raises his blade and points towards the Avengers. The Outriders and the Chitauri charge viciously as the Avengers begin heading to them as well. Tony, Rhodey (with Rocket on his shoulder), Wanda, Stephen, Tony, Quill and Carol (with Peter swinging from ships overhead) fly ahead.

“Get the Stones!” Steve shouts into the comms. Carol immediately blasts towards Thanos to work on getting the gauntlet.

“Who has the Space Stone?” Tony asks, fending off three Outriders. “Steph, Peter and I don’t.”

“Not us,” Jessica answers, fighting back-to-back with the Defenders. They’d decided to team up after finding each other among the rubble. Especially Matt — not that he needed help, but they worried a little about all the noise and movement giving him sensory overload.

“No good here,” Quill answers, blasting away some Chitauri as he looks over the Guardians. Thor doesn’t have it either.

“Sorry, Stark,” T’Challa says.

“I don’t have it,” Wanda replies.

“It’s with me!” Natasha shouts.

Hope flies overhead, looking around, “Give it to me. I’ll shrink with it.” Natasha passes it to Hope once she gets to her and Hope shrinks with it, flying away.

Natasha informs the others, “Hope has it now. It’s shrunk.”

“Good. Get the other Stones!” Tony replies.

Carol grabs the gauntlet before Thanos can use its power against her. He pushes back against her force, but she easily overpowers him in strength and shoves him down onto his knees. He headbutts her but she doesn’t even flinch, only glaring deeply at him. He killed Nick Fury once. Perhaps indirectly, but wiped her close friend from existence nonetheless. She cannot forgive him for that.

She’s about to whack Thanos into next Tuesday when he pulls out the Power Stone, punching her with it. The force of an Infinity Stone blasts her away into some rubble.

“Before he puts the Stone back,” Quill says to Thor. Thor gets his gist and the two of them fire at the gauntlet while the Power Stone isn’t in it yet. Thanos groans, the Power Stone slowly decaying his arm the longer it stays in his grip. Carol gets up again and she and Wanda join in blasting the gauntlet and the Power Stone. Thanos screams as the guantlet begins giving way and he releases the Power Stone before it can truly destroy him.

“I need to get them,” Quill mutters, turning towards the Stones and Thanos.

“Quill, wait!” Carol says loudly, reaching out to him to stop him.

“Peter! Wait!” Thor shouts.

Peter gives Thor an apologetic look as he presses a light kiss to his lips, “I love you. I wish we had more time.” Before Thor can say or do anything, Peter flies forward to Thanos, about to get the gauntlet back.

Thanos tries to take the Stones when he realises what Peter is planning to do but Peter reaches the Stones first. His fist wraps around the six Stones and he doubles over in agony, a blast of energy knocking everyone else back, even Thor and Carol struggle to hold their eyes open against it. Thanos is pushed back a little, but he persists against, his determination to get the Stones propelling him forward.

Peter feels the energy from all the Stones engulf him, feels their strength overtake his own. Even with his Celestial self back, six Stones was too much. Back when he hadn’t harnessed the Celestial half of him, just the Power Stone alone was enough to break him up. With Six Stones in his hold and a Titan trying to take them from him, he could feel every inch of his body ripping itself apart.

It hurt. It fucking _hurt_. The part of him that’s Celestial was trying to repair his body while the part of him that’s human was falling apart. It reminds him of the other Peter, Tony’s kid. When he told him what it felt like when Thanos snapped his fingers, when they all turned to ash. Parker told him his body was fixing itself as it crumbled away into nothingness. It feels just like that. For once, Peter understands the kid.

He’s so sorry.

Yet, Peter doesn’t let go of the Stones. He has the upper hand now. Their power is his. He can feel his skin break off his bones, feel his bones themselves slowly shred away. Every cell in his body falling apart and meshing together.

“Give me the Stones! You cannot take their power!” Thanos shouts. It’s funny; for a moment, it sounded like Thanos cared about him. The Titan doesn’t. The feeling is mutual.

Peter is tempted to speak, say something in mockery to Thanos. Even screaming to alleviate the slightest bit of his agony would be preferable, but his vocal chords are barely strings hanging onto his flesh. He doesn’t have much time.

“Peter...”

“Mom?” Peter suddenly finds his voice. He was surrounded by planets and galaxies, just like when he first held the Power Stone years ago. Meredith isn’t in a hospital bed this time. No, she was okay. She was standing, long blonde hair shining gorgeously under the countless stars. Her eyes sparkled with a million galaxies. Her smile radiates sunshine.

Meredith’s hands find his cheeks as she says gently, “I missed you so much, Peter. Thor took such good care of you for me.”

Peter nods, feeling tears roll down his cheeks as he brings a hand up to hold Meredith’s. He whispers, “I’m so tired, Mom.”

“Then rest. I’ll always wait for you,” Meredith smiles, pressing a light kiss to his forehead. “My little Star-Lord. You’ve been so strong. I’m so proud of you.”

“I love you,” Peter says. He never wants to let this moment go. Meredith nods, giving him a grin that says she loves him too.

She says, “If you want to let go, it’s okay. You deserve to rest. I love you, so you do what you have to do. Thor will understand. I will understand.”

Peter abruptly wakes up from his trance, feels pins and needles explode all over his body as he sees fragments of it break away. He can’t feel his hand anymore, the one that’s holding the Stones. He’s been postponing it, holding it off for as long as it’s possible.

The truth is, Peter is tired. He just wants to rest. He’s gone through enough in his life. But a part of him, the half of him that’s screaming at him in the distance to let go, that part wants to live. He can hear him. Thor’s shouting at him, but it sounds so muffled by the power of the Infinity Stones and his struggle against Thanos. Thor sounds so far away and it feels like no matter how hard Peter tries, he will never reach him. Thor’s telling him to let go of the Stones. Thor’s shouting his name.

 _Thor_ , _Thor_ , _Thor_. _I_ _love_ _you_ _so_ _much_.

“Peter! Please let go!” Thor screams. Thor feels utterly useless. He can’t do anything as long as Peter has the Stones. The power of all six, emanating so rawly without a Gauntlet to control them, it’s too difficult to get through to find Peter in its midst without destroying himself in the process. It’d been difficult enough getting through the Reality Stone’s power alone years ago, going through. six times of that would be too much. His best chance would be to eradicating the Stones, but he didn’t want to risk killing Peter if he does that. He doesn’t even know if it’ll work.

“He’s going to kill himself if he keeps going...” Carol says, horrified. She didn’t know if she would be able to hold the Stones that long, or if she can even get through the power to save Peter.

“Peter!” Thor screams again. He can’t do anything. The love of his life is tearing himself in half and he can’t do anything but shout his name.

“I’m so sorry, Thor,” Peter whispers, even though Thor can’t hear him. He sees tears float away from him. He didn’t even know he was crying until he sees them. “I love you.”

Thanos shouts, a final demand, “You will die if you hold them any longer!“

“So be it,” Peter says quietly, forcing his phantom hand to open. At least, he hopes his hand is open. He can’t feel half his body anymore. Where did his legs go? He witnesses Thanos’ face contort in horror as the Stones consume him, destroy him, rid the universe of his existence. Peter’s legs give way. His arms lose feeling. His eyes close.

When the power dissipates, nothing is left.

Everyone stands silently, frozen to the spot. Nobody makes a move until Thor steps forward, kneeling to press a hand to where Peter stood before. It’s like his brain forgot how to think, how to process information. His fingers are darkened from the charred ground, and yet he can’t comprehend what just happened.

The Guardians all move slowly, but they eventually reach Thor as well. Mantis keeps her hands solely to herself, avoiding physical contact with anyone else. Surely, an unconscious decision, a thought at the corner of her mind that feeling anyone else’s emotions would make her implode. Her own was already too much. Groot was still for once in his life, no quippy comeback prepared for anything. Drax was silent, and even his big frame seemed deflated. Rocket rubs his hands together in anxiousness, uncertainty, as he stands next to Thor. Even Nebula joins them, staring solemnly where Peter formerly stood.

“Peter?” Thor’s voice is weak. He feels so small.

Rocket, who was always the realist, who was always trying to be a good captain when Peter wasn’t around to do so. Rocket, who was trying to hold it together as he says, “He’s not here anymore.”

Thor falls from his kneeling position to sitting, staring emptily at the charred ground.

“Thor, I’m so sorry,” Matt says. Thor didn’t even notice the vigilante making his way to them. Thor can hear people talking to each other, even though they felt a million miles away.

“Is it over?” _Peter_ _Parker_.

“Thanos is gone. We won...” _Natasha_ _Romanoff_.

“Where’s Quill?” _Danny_ _Rand_.

“Shut up.” _Jessica_ _Jones_.

“Oh my God. He’s gone?” _Bruce_ _Banner_.

“Is he dead?” _T’Challa_.

“Is Thor okay?” _Carol_ _Danvers_.

“I’ll talk to him.” _Tony_ _Stark_.

“No. I will.” _Loki_.

Thor feels a hand rest on his shoulder. He doesn’t have to hear their conversations or look up to know who it is. He’s felt this hand on his shoulder countless times.

Loki goes down on one knee so he’s level with Thor, but his hand doesn’t move itself away. He says, “Hello, brother. Do you feel like talking about it?” When Thor doesn’t answer, Loki sighs, bringing his leg down so he’s sitting down as well. He didn’t get a chance to know Peter. He only knew that Thor loved Peter and that the feeling was mutual.

Loki decides to not say anything, simply leaving a hand on Thor’s back in silent comfort as Thor’s brain tries to catch up with reality. Drax pats Rocket’s head gently as the raccoon stares where Peter once was. Mantis stands with Groot, both of them silent in shock. Nebula and Matt stand a little further than them. Nebula folds her arms and glances away from the scene while Matt removes his helmet. Maybe it was a way of respect. Thor doesn’t know.

Jessica joins them when Matt actually _cries_. Thor hadn’t known him long, but he didn’t think Matt was the kind to cry. He’d been fairly stoic the whole ordeal. Jessica places a comforting hand on his back as she, too, stares where Peter once stood.

“I wish we had more time,” Thor repeats Peter’s last words to him as he cries.


	12. epilogue

The Avengers offered to host a funeral for Peter. Tony actually traced the grave belonging to him in Missouri. Apparently, Peter’s existing family thought he died back when he got abducted by the Ravagers and had an empty casket buried for him next to his mother. They decided to have his funeral there.

It must have been a peculiar sight for anyone visiting the graveyard the day they all went. The Avengers, a bunch of aliens, the royalty of Wakanda... all there mourning a dateless headstone. Stephen suggested that Tony invite Peter’s existing family to the funeral. Tony took him up on it and got in contact. His grandfather was still alive, apparently, and attended on his own. He cried all the tears Thor couldn’t bring himself to let out.

“We buried an empty box,” he had told them. What a sad kind of ironic that he was mourning Peter for the second time and the box was still empty. The only difference was that this time, he knew Peter was truly dead.

The Guardians took turns to talk about Peter after his grandfather‘s turn. He didn’t take very long; there was not much he could say when he’d missed out on almost forty years of Peter’s life. It was crazy, how he’d seen Peter grow up for eight years, and then he thought he’d died, but he was alive the whole time, he’s saved the galaxy thrice, he’s friends with the Avengers and calls alien outlaws his family. He could only say that Peter had been such a good kid and that Meredith would be so proud of him. He said he knows Peter and Meredith are happy together wherever they are. He said he knows how long Peter has been waiting to see his mother again. His grandfather felt a little guilty about missing so much of Peter’s life, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it anymore. At least he didn’t miss his funeral. He thanked Tony for calling him down.

Nebula doesn’t say much, going up because she feels obligated to, but she says that Peter always did what he could to help Gamora and that she appreciated that. Drax talks about how, despite his flaws, Peter always tried his best. Mantis talks about how he was so sincere and that he genuinely loved every living soul. Groot delivers his entire speech in (obviously) Groot language so nobody understood it except the Guardians, but even Drax allows himself to shed a tear when it ends. Rocket says Peter was a music-obsessed, stuck-in-the-past outlaw that always got in trouble. He also says that’s why people love him. No matter which Guardian spoke, there was a mutual consensus — Peter Quill was a good man.

Matt speaks for a while. He says Peter was a good friend, a good man, and deserved a good life. That he hopes he’s happy now. He hopes he gets to rest. He also said that even though he wasn’t sure if he still believed in God, he knew that God would take good care of Peter.

Thor goes last. A few of the Avengers decide to speak, but even they can’t find enough things to say. There’s only so much to talk about about someone they barely knew.

Thor starts, “I love him.” Some of the less-aware Avengers raise an eyebrow, previously unknowing of how close Peter and Thor truly were.

“I love him. I do. And yes, it says so on my wrist,” Thor says. He raises his arm a little, but his hoodie’s sleeve covers it. Thor doesn’t bother looking at his wrist anymore. It hurt to do so. “But it doesn’t matter. Regardless of if his initials were etched in my skin or not, I would have loved him anyway.” He doesn’t realise Loki’s presence next to him, as if silently comforting him. He appreciates it. “Peter is... I love how much he loves his mother. I love how he dances even when people are looking. I love how, no matter how many times life knocked him down, he always keeps going. I love how he puts his life on the line to save people he knows will never thank him. I love how he... I love how he’s just so good. Peter is so good.”

Thor doesn’t bother wiping the tears away. Peter’s grandfather watches him; a mixture of surprise and sorrow paints his face. He hadn’t known Peter liked guys too. He’d never outwardly shown any interest in his childhood — it didn’t matter, of course. He loved his grandson just the same. He just felt so strange about it all, about how much he’d truly missed out on Peter’s life, he didn’t know what to feel. He feels sad because Peter’s life had just been way too short. He feels angry because he knows eight billion people in the world will never know what he did for all of them and will never thank him for his sacrifice. He feels content because he knows Peter is with Meredith once again. He feels happy that Peter had Thor, who loved him so much.

“He is too good, and he deserves better,” Thor says. Loki places a placating hand on his shoulder and Thor nods once in gratitude. He stares at Peter’s headstone for a moment — it was dateless. Peter’s grandfather had explained earlier that they didn’t put a death date because they didn’t know when he died, if he did. They left out his birth date because it just felt so wrong to have his date there, to remind them that they were burying a child and the child’s body wasn’t even in the lowering box.

Thor agrees with their choice to leave out the dates. It didn’t feel right to limit Peter’s entire existence to two dates. He just saved everyone and everything. Before that, he already saved the galaxy twice. How can you possibly compress every victory, loss, love, joke, smile, song, dance... How can you possibly compress Peter Quill into two dates? It didn’t feel right.

“I love him so much,” Thor exhales heavily.

“He knows,” Loki says. It’s two very simple words, but Thor struggles to breathe through his sobs after them.

* * *

Minutes turn to hours. Hours turn to days. Days turn to weeks. Weeks turn to months. Months turn to eternity. Time slurs together like a sunset melts to dusk. Thor isn’t sure of the time anymore. He never keeps track.

Peter Quill died to save the universe three months ago. At least, Tony said it was three months ago. Thor takes his word for it; he wouldn’t know. Life has been empty since then.

The Guardians retreated back to space after the funeral. Thor’s sure they’d gone off to host a Ravager funeral for him. Rocket told him about it once, back when they’d just lost their first fight against Thanos. He said it was beautiful. Peter deserves a beautiful funeral. Nothing less.

Matt also moved out of the Avengers Compound, as he’d promised he would do after defeating Thanos. He went back to Hell’s Kitchen to restart his law firm with his friends. Thor wished him good luck in his endeavours. Matt told him that he’s there for him if he needs to talk.

Tony had moved back to his actual home as well, but he sticks around in case Thor ever needed to talk. Thor appreciates it. Stephen comes over whenever he’s free, but he never stays around too long each time. Parker visits every day after he gets out of school. It’s only for a while before he gets into his Spider-Man suit and swings off to protect New York. Thor heard Parker teams up with Matt sometimes. The lawyer keeps Parker out of his vigilante business as much as he can, though. Partially because Tony made him promise to do so, and partially because he knows his life is too dark for a ray of sunshine like Parker.

Brunnhilde suggested they go back to rebuild Asgard, but Loki insists that they will return when Thor is feeling up to it. Asgard isn’t going anywhere, Loki had sassed. Brunnhilde agreed eventually, and said that she will bring the Asgardians somewhere in the meantime, and perhaps they could get a head-start on rebuilding Asgard. Thor felt bad about leaving the task to Brunnhilde, but she assured him that she understood that he was still grieving Peter and that she can hold down the fort for a while. Don’t take too long though, she joked.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Loki asks. Thor’s lost count of how many times Loki has asked him that question. He’d turned down Loki’s many offers over the past three months, but he knew he couldn’t say no forever.

“I miss him,” Thor mumbles.

Loki nods, “I know you do. I... I know not how to placate you on this. I am uncertain of what happens to Celestials upon death. However, what I am certain about is that he loved you. Regardless of his soul mark.”

“Peter... He liked miracles. He believed things always turn out okay in the end. He liked when miracles happened,” Thor says sadly. Loki sits quietly, waiting for Thor to continue. Thor sniffs once before he says, “I was hoping he could pull off one more.”

Before Loki can think of something to say, Tony appears at the doorway. His expression is unreadable. Loki raises an eyebrow to him as Tony struggles to find the words to say.

“Stark, what is it?” Loki asks on Thor’s behalf.

“I don’t know how this happened, but you gotta see this,” Tony says, using his thumb to point down the hallway. Thor and Loki get up to follow Tony, confused as to what has gotten Tony so affected. When they reach the main room, Thor feels his heart stutter.

Peter Quill stands at the doorway.

He looks tired and worn. He looks dirty, his hair was messy, his shoulders sagged a little bit. His jacket is battered and his shirt and face was stained with blood, his own blood. His left hand, the one that held all the Stones three months ago, is in bad condition. It looks horrifically burnt and wounded but Tony is sure Stephen knew a spell that could help.

Peter stares right at Thor, wordless. He doesn’t have to say anything. Thor goes up to him and pulls him into a kiss. Long overdue. Peter returns it desperately, his hands coming up to cup Thor’s face like he’s scared he’ll slip through his fingers. Thor’s hands feel tears rolling down Peter’s face.

When they finally pull away, Peter is crying, but he has a tired smile on his face.

“I love you. I’m so sorry,” Peter mumbles. “I pulled off one more miracle.”

Thor can’t help but laugh, pulling Peter into another deep kiss that he returns enthusiastically.

Peter feels so alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gonna pull a marvel lazy writing and say that peter managed to survive bc he used the stones to make sure he would come back while he destroyed thanos,,, i just wanted peter to come back i’ll use any explanation tbh KASHAK
> 
> anyway that is really the end! i hope it wasn’t too bad i thought it sucked but i still hope it didn’t 100% suck, thank you for reading


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